It's My Turn
by topearsXXVII
Summary: Ji Hoo jumps at the chance to be with the one he loves and live the life he wanted—with her by his side. Will his efforts pay off? Or will our Jan Di continue to hold feelings for Goo Joon Pyo? With Jae Kyung keeping her fiance from meddling with Geum Jan Di's life, it's up to her firefighter to put out the flames that burn her so deeply.
1. Chapter 1: The Start

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boys Over Flowers or the characters**

A line of people were shuffling out of the tiny apartment space and happily waved goodnight to their good friend, Geum Jan Di, who gratefully thanked them and bid them farewell; her broad grin stretched from ear to ear at seeing the joyful faces of her friends and the freshly-decorated interior of her new home. She stood outside by the stairway to see each of them off; Joon Pyo and Jae Kyung had left about an hour earlier due to a date they planned, so it was only the five of them, not including young Kang San. It somewhat irked her that she would always feel hurt whenever she saw Joon Pyo with his fiancée, but she didn't let it ruin her time with her friends. With or without the couple's presence, everyone still had an enjoyable time telling jokes, stories, or just plain laughing.

"I'll see you later" Woo Bin smirked as he descended down the stairs and disappeared into his expensive sports car, the yellow Lotus Elise SC. He flashed the taillights twice as another gesture of his departure and started down the hill.

"I'm looking forward to the surprises you'll bring for us" Yi Jung chuckled as he gave a slight nod. He felt a particular pair of eyes on him and turned to see that the other lady present, Ga Eul, was trying hard not to appear like she was staring at him. The man flashed his half-grin that melted the hearts of many and coolly offered his arm to her.

"Would you like me to take you home?"

"O-Oh thank you, but it's okay, I'll walk home. It's not too far from here anyway"

"Ga Eul ah, it's late; at this hour, something bad will happen to you. Take Yi Jung sunbae's offer and let him drive you home" Jan Di encouraged, nudging her hesitant friend towards him.

"Y-You're right, I should do that" she said under her breath. "T-Thank you"

"No need to thank me; I _am_ escorting a beautiful young lady home" he playfully winked.

Ga Eul averted her gaze in attempt to hide her flushed face and coughed to clear her throat. Yi Jung's smile widened another inch at seeing her become embarrassed at hearing him purr a line he put no effort in creating. The two walked down the steps and also disappeared into another ridiculously expensive vehicle, Yi Jung's prized, orange Lotus Exige S240. The car's engine revved a couple times before it too rolled down the hill.

Lastly, it was Ji Hoo's turn to leave. He stood at the top of the steps with his hands deep inside his pockets, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. A plume of air escaped from his lips as he breathed in the chilly night air.

"It's windy tonight" he stated. "You should go inside quickly before you catch a cold"

"Ah, but I must see you off first" she replied through her poorly-suppressed shivering.

He silently chuckled to himself, but it was brief, for his face suddenly turned serious.

"Are you okay?"

"Eh? Of course! I had a fun time with everyone today, so I'm really thankful you all came over even if it was a little cramped"

"I meant Joon Pyo"

"Oh" she trailed off. "I-I'll be fine, Sunbae. Don't worry so much about me"

Her smile didn't reach her eyes and her laugh wavered; it was more than obvious that she was trying to reassure him—he had been through this more than he'd like, but as always, he let it slide. There was no use in prying any further—it would only serve to hurt her.

"Okay then, I'll be leaving now"

"Drive safely" the girl chirped.

Ji Hoo nodded and started to be on his way when he was stopped by a rather loud sneeze by a trembling Jan Di.

"Aaahh!" came a squeal when the wind picked up speed and almost toppled her over. Ji Hoo observed her for a moment longer until he decided to ascend the steps. He approached the unaware girl and encircled her with his long arms. He felt her head sink into his chest and could have sworn that she leaned into him. Although he would have liked to think differently, he managed to convince himself it was only because she was cold and nothing more.

"Have a good night's rest" he soft spoke over her.

"You too, Sunbae. Don't stay up too long"

Ji Hoo reluctantly released the thin body in his arms and returned on his way home. The motorcycle engine started up and thundered out of sight, leaving Jan Di alone in the cold.

The girl shuffled back inside and quickly shut the door, turned off the lights, and fell fast asleep next to her brother. She breathed deeply in her peaceful slumber, glad that things were now starting to look up for her, but was unaware of what she was to wake up to in the morning.  
-

"All aboard! The train will leave in 5 minutes" a uniformed man bellowed as he motioned for the guests to hurry inside.

Standing on the platform were a young lady and an even younger boy. The boy, with a saddened look on his face, lifted his gaze from the floor. His head swung upwards to make eye contact with the woman standing less than a foot from him.

"I guess that's the signal for me to go"

She smiled sweetly in return and tousled his mop of jet-black hair. She handed him his bag and offered him his train ticket. The boy weaved his arms through the arm straps and reached out to retrieve the small slip of paper. His thumb and index finger grabbed hold, but were unable to get it out of his sister's strong grip.

He glanced up at her questioningly while still having a hand on the ticket.

"Noona, are you sure you're going to be okay by yourself? I can stay with you"

She shook her head side to side and her grin widened.

"Kang San ah, remember that your sister is Geum Jan Di. I'll be okay; I don't want you to suffer anymore because of me"

"But Noona!" he protested, clearly conflicted after hearing her resolve.

"Go and hurry up. They're going to leave you and you'll be stuck with me forever" she joked. She let out a forlorn sigh and stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets.

"Ah, you're lucky"

"Huh?"

"When you'll get there, you will be able to see mom and dad every day and eat with them each morning. At night, you'll be able to talk with them and sleep beside them. How lucky of you"

Kang San motioned to speak, but a loud whistle cut him off.

"Last call! The train is leaving now"

The two hastily looked at each other before they ran towards the train doors. Adding onto the boy's fortune, he had slipped in between the sliding doors just in time and was now settling in his seat. He peered out the window and found his sister waving happily at him.

"Take care of yourself!" he shouted through the glass, waving back at her.

Her face contorted in confusion.

"Take care of yourself!" he repeated. "Eat good food!"

She seemed just as confused, clearly not getting his message. He exhaled in slight annoyance at his sister's density, but persisted on.

"Eat" pretending he was scooping something into his mouth, "Good" flashing a thumbs up, "Food" chewing on an invisible chunk of meat.

A certain glow came about her when she realized what he was trying to tell her. She laughed it off, telling him that she will and that he should greet their parents for her.

He gave a nod and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"I think Ji Hoo hyungnim likes you!"

Again, that look of confusion was stuck on her face and again, he had to act out his words. The whistle blew and the train started rolling. He knew he had little time to do much else and so waved goodbye for the last time before plopping onto his seat. Jan Di weakly held her hand up to do the same, but her brother's words still lingered in her mind.

_Sunbae likes me?_

She furiously shook her head, dismissing the thought and gathered her own suitcase and exited the station.  
-

Geum Jan Di set off to the streets in search of a place to sleep, dragging her single suitcase along the uneven roads. She had come from visiting her best friend, Ga Eul, in hopes that her offer to reside in her house was still valid, but to her dismay, it wasn't. Her aunt had arrived the day before and wanted to stay with them for a couple weeks or so. What rotten luck she had sometimes.

"_I'm really sorry" Ga Eul apologized as she bowed her head._

_Ga Eul straightened from her bow and smiled._

"_I know! We can share my room" she exclaimed. "It became a lot smaller since my aunt moved some of her belongings into it, but we can fit right in"_

"_Ah no no, it's ok" she tried to reassure her. "It can't be helped and I don't want to bother your family"_

_The pouting girl lunged at her friend with her arms spread wide and engulfed in her in a tight embrace._

"_Our poor Jan Di is going through so many troubles. It's heartbreaking to watch"_

_Jan Di sighed deeply into her friend's shoulder and patted her back._

"_Yeah, it's been getting really tough now. I'm not sure how much more I can take"_

_Ga Eul pulled away from the embrace and stared straight into her friend's eyes. With her brows slightly furrowed and eyes bulging, she seemed angry._

"_Don't say that" she stated. "You are Geum Jan Di, the toughest girl in all of Korea. You had the guts to stand up to those snobby, stuck up F4 guys and even tamed them. If you survived that, you can survive anything!"_

"_Thank you" she grinned as she hugged her._

"_I know, why not ask one of them to let you stay at their house? With the amount of money they have, they could house a dozen of people"_

"_Them? Who are you talking about?"_

"_F4!" she nearly shouted. "I'm sure they won't say no to you"_

"_No, I've already bothered them enough with my problems"_

"_Hm? Are you sure?"_

"_Mm" she nodded. "Ah, it's getting late. I should be leaving"_

"_Oh alright. Goodnight—be safe!" she called out to her departing friend._

And that was that. With a house that was too expensive to continue renting, the demolition of the apartment she just adjusted herself to, and the high-occupancy of her best friend's home, she had nowhere else to go. To the side, she spotted a man wearing a weathered, patched coat enter an underground subway station. She decided to follow him and saw newspapers and other trash litter the floor.

A few bodies lied here and there, sleeping or getting drunk with friends. Their laugh echoed in the small space and a certain stench wafted up her nose. She definitely didn't want to sleep here, especially out in the open with men surrounding her, but she didn't have much of a choice. She strolled farther down and spotted a vacant spot with sheets of discarded newspaper already strewn out.

She set her suitcase down and started to straighten out the newspaper to make a makeshift bed. She was just about finished when she heard thundering footsteps approach her. Her head turned towards the man and saw that he was heavily intoxicated. He took another swig from the soju bottle in his stubby fingers and tossed it to the side, releasing a loud and less-than-pleasant belch while tipping sideways. He stared down at her with his glazed eyes and frowned.

"What *hiccup* are you doing here?"

"I don't have anywhere to sleep, so I came down here" she replied nervously.

"That's my bed" he growled. "I sleep here"

"Ah, really? Ahjusshi, there's a lot of space around here" she pointed out "You can sleep anywhere, so please find another area and make yourself comfortable there"

"No, get out" he demanded as he pushed her out of the way and stretched out on the pile of newspapers.

"Ahjussi!"

"Go away, you're too noisy" he grumbled.

"Ahjussi, I was—"

"Didn't I tell you to go away? I *hiccup* am going to sleep"

She huffed and daringly grabbed onto the back of his coat. With both hands latched onto the old cloth, she furiously shook him in attempt to get him to move.

"Ah, this girl!" he exclaimed as he shoved her back. She fell on her tailbone and softly groaned from the impact. The man struggled to get on his feet and towered over her, his nostrils flaring and his mouth twitching.

"You're really bothersome! If you don't stop pestering me, you'll really get it"

"Eh? Ahjussi, don't you know? I am not the one at fault; you were the one who took my bed from me when I spent so long arranging it"

"What?"

"That's right, I was here first, so that makes it mine, not yours"

"This girl really wants a beating!" he fumed as he raised his hand high above his head.

When Jan Di saw his hand quickly falling towards her, she tightly shut her eyes and curled up within herself, waiting to feel the pain shoot through her body. A moment passed and another; she was now wondering why he hadn't hit her yet. She opened her eyes and saw that the man's hand was stopped by another. The man's face was full of surprise and he was frozen in his place.

Jan Di slowly turned to her savior and what she set her sights on nearly had her eyes bulge out of their sockets. Standing in front of her was a young, good-looking man wearing what seemed like expensive clothing and a thick helmet over his head. Strands of golden-brown hair spilled out from the inside of the helmet and she knew immediately who had come to save her.

"Sunbae" she whispered, still in shock at his sudden presence.

He faced her with concerned eyes and let go of the older man's arm, not before, of course, shooting an icy glare at him.

"Let's go"

"E-Eh?" answered the still stunned girl.

Ji Hoo didn't bother repeating his words, for he grabbed her suitcase in one hand and caught her hand in the other. He didn't give her time to respond, for they were already climbing the stairs. He continued leading her until they stood in front of his stark-white motorcycle and only then did he stop to load the suitcase on the seat.

"Hop on. I'll help you up" he motioned while handing her a helmet.

By now, Jan Di had regained her senses and was able to speak.

"S-Sunbae!"

"Yes? Is there something wrong?"

A new wave of concern filled his softened eyes; she noticed it and shied away, automatically feeling guilty that she had gotten herself into another mess and that he had once again gone out of his way to rescue her.

"I'm sorry I keep bothering you" she mumbled. "You must be tired"

In response, he merely smiled at her, to which she anxiously smiled back.

"Geum Jan Di's firefighter can't be tired" he grinned. "He has to act fast whenever he hears the emergency bell and be ready to put out the fire"

His tender gaze and sweet, boyish smile sent her heart racing. She tried to ignore her rapidly beating heart, but to no avail. It was just about impossible to ignore how this man, who was as generous as he was handsome, made her feel sometimes.

"Are you ready?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Eh?" she replied as she snapped out of it. "Ready for what?"

Again, he just smiled at her and didn't say another word. He held the helmet with both hands and gently slipped it over her head. She peered up at him with a question playing on her lips, but he instead hoisted her on the motorcycle before swinging his own leg over the side. The engine roared alive and before Jan Di had the chance to ask her question, the motorcycle lurched forward and the two were speeding down the vacant streets.

Jan Di squeaked at the sudden jerk and attached herself to Ji Hoo's broad back. She could feel him tense and gradually relax under her fingertips and wondered whether he was okay with her doing that. He didn't seem to have any complaints—not that he ever really voiced them out anyway, but she drew back her arms just in case.

To her surprise, as soon as she retracted her arms from his sides, he sped up and revved the powerful engine even more, prompting her to return to latching onto him.

"We're almost there; I'm going to go a little faster, so hold onto me"

Jan Di's eyes blinked rapidly in confusion, but did as he asked. She nestled her helmet into his back and hesitantly laid her palms flat against his abdomen.

Ji Hoo seemed very pleased and couldn't seem to contain his happiness; an ecstatic chuckle rumbled in the back of his throat and his heart was doing somersaults. The sensation was foreign to him; he was a bit scared, but most of him was more or less content. After all, he was in no rush to end the night; he wanted to further explore these feelings he was experiencing, especially when he finally has the opportunity to spend time alone with a certain clumsy girl by his side.  
-

"Ah~" Jan Di sighed happily as she strolled out of a restaurant with Ji Hoo following closely behind. He watched her spin in full circle while gazing up at the night sky and giggling at how good she felt at the moment. She stopped without warning and took a step towards him. This caught him off guard and he immediately stopped in his tracks.

"Sunbae, thank you for treating me to dinner" she beamed. "Let me repay you somehow"

"It's alright. All I ask is for you to continue being yourself" he said as he patted the top of her head.

The two basked in the comfortable silence that they shared and played out an entire conversation through their eyes. A multitude of emotions fleeted across their faces and teasing smiles pulled at their lips. After a while, Ji Hoo remembered that the girl had to report to work early tomorrow. Despite his wish to continue being in her company, he knew that he couldn't afford to let her neglect her responsibilities. Even though the owner of the porridge shop was a dear friend of hers, a workplace was still a workplace.

"Are you ready to go home?"

"Mm, let's go" she replied, oblivious to his deflated mood.

Ji Hoo fastened his helmet and did the same for her. The two hopped onto the bike and made their way back to the tiny apartment. With Jan Di's arms around him in an embrace, he couldn't help but feel warm all over. The ride there was much longer than intended; Ji Hoo had his mind elsewhere and barely noticed that they had arrived in front of the ruins of what was once the rundown apartment. His dark brown eyes wandered up the unrecognizable mess and immediately turned to the girl behind him in hopes of an explanation.

"What happened here?"

"U-Um, that is, our home was scheduled to be demolished this morning" she whimpered.

She didn't dare go on; she didn't want him to worry over her. He, however, knew better. He cleared his throat and snapped his head towards the front. He didn't look it, but he was actually irritated. He knew from the start who was behind the whole thing and the thought of it boiled his blood, but he couldn't let her know. He remained to appear clueless of the situation and let her believe in that notion.

"You don't have anyone to stay with?" he asked, trying to retain his cool.

"N-No" she laughed nervously. "Everyone has helped me with so much; I don't want to bother them anymore than I should"

"I see. Geum Jan Di, in that case, do you want to stay over?"

"Ah thank you Sun—EH?" she exclaimed, her jaw dropping and her eyes popping out. "S-Stay over?"

"Mm" he nodded. "Do you want to? I have plenty of spare rooms you can use"

"Ah but…" she paused, mulling over the possible consequences.

_ - Goo Joon Pyo will be angry if he finds out I slept over Sunbae's house instead of consulting him_

_ - No, stop it! He's engaged to Jae Kyung unnie; he has no reason to involve himself in my affairs anymore. He's the successor to Shinhwa Group and he must focus on - maintaining the business. It's what was decided for him_

_ - Goo Joon Pyo still likes me though. Does he expect me to wait for him after all the times I've been pushed away? Should I? What should I do?_

Jan Di pursed her lips together and nodded vigorously. Ji Hoo looked at her in slight disbelief, but was overall elated. As if his prayer had been answered, he was unexpectedly given more time to cherish with her—indeed a rarity, seeing as how he mostly took on the role as her honorary firefighter just as he had done not too long ago.

"Okay, hold on" he called back to her as he restarted the engine.  
-

Moments later, the motorcycle swerved into a wide driveway that led to a luxurious, traditional-styled house. The engine was cut off and the two stumbled into the spacious house, the statuesque man lugging her suitcase along. Jan Di's big, doe eyes wandered back and forth to marvel at the beautiful home her sunbae lived in. She cautiously stepped into the living room and took a seat on the white couch. Not long after, a head of golden-brown hair appeared from around the corner. The man had shed off his jacket and walked to take his own seat beside her.

"Your room is to the right, next to mine" he stated casually. "I've left your belongings beside the bed. Is there anything else you'd like?"

"No, I'm alright" she bowed in gratitude.

"Would you like some tea?" he motioned for the porcelain teapot.

"Oh no, that's fine" she stopped him. "If I drink tea, I won't be able to get any sleep and I'll need all I can get for tomorrow's shift"

He gave an understanding nod and proceeded to place the teapot back in its place. He then eased into the couch and let his hands fall in between his legs. Beside him, the pale-faced girl fidgeted in her seat. She didn't seem to be comfortable with the idea that she was going to sleep in a house alone with a man. Given, that that man was none other than Yoon Ji Hoo, the sweetest, most caring gentleman she's ever known, but he was still a man and she was a woman.

"T-Thank you again for letting me stay here for the night, Sunbae" she stuttered while trying to avert her gaze elsewhere.

"Anything for our Jan Di" his lips curving into a gentle smile.

"I'll do my best not to bother you! I'll leave as soon as I wake up and clean the house after I get back"

The man snorted a laugh and leaned forward to meet her shifting gaze.

"You don't have to do that; I'm glad to have you here. It's funny, I'm usually uncomfortable being with other people other than the F4, but for some reason, I'm not when I'm with you. I find myself wanting to be with you each day"

A tanned hand extended out to her and brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her eyes. The girl instantly became flustered and buried her face into her arm with a forced cough. She shot up from her seat, surprising him as well, and cleared her throat.

"I should be getting ready to go to bed" she shyly stated before she shuffled out of the room.

Ji Hoo heard her footsteps fade and disappear behind a door; he was now sitting alone on his couch, surrounded by various photographs and the cold silence. He was indeed a bit dejected that she had shrugged off his advancements and so let his head fall back onto the couch. He heaved a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, wondering if he had come on too strong or if he should back off for some time.

Dark brown irises peered out from underneath and eyed the large photo of his former love, Min Seo-Hyun. Her eyes blankly stared down at him, her famous smile plastered on her face boring into him. Without another moment's hesitation, he got up from his place and headed towards his own bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he hurriedly put on his pajamas and landed face-down onto his pillow. Wounding himself in his king-size blanket, Ji Hoo thought back at today's events, from start to end. Gulping and feeling the warm saliva trickle down his throat, he half-hoped, half-dreaded the coming of morning. Grunting into his pillow, he rolled over and slowly drifted to sleep, praying for the best.  
-

**And that's the end of the first chapter! I just recently finished this beautiful drama and I was hurt all over at the fact that Ji Hoo was the one for Jan Di, but let her go because his friend liked her too. :'(**

**Sadly, I also discovered that despite the hundreds of fan fics in this archive, only about 50 or so were Ji Hoo/Jan Di stories.**

******Oh and I know this was told in third person, but I will probably switch over to first person. **Well, let me know what you think of the story so far and I'll see you all later!


	2. Chapter 2: A Home to Find

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boys Over Flowers or the characters  
-**

Dark irises fluttered open and the blurry outlines that invaded his vision started to focus into view. With a soft groan, the man rolled on his side and eyed his clock: 11:42 am. His half-asleep self couldn't yet process that in 20 minutes, it would be afternoon and he had essentially slept through half the day. He didn't find it surprising: he was well known as the one who could and would sleep anywhere—he was even dubbed as "the man who could sleep through an earthquake" by some of his classmates. However, recently, he's been growing a certain dislike for oversleeping.

Normally when he'd wake up in the afternoon, he would shrug it off and continue doing whatever he felt like doing, like perhaps lounging with his friends or playing music, as he had always done, but now he had urges to go out and do something—anything. He just didn't want to sit around and do nothing. As if those words were part of a passcode, an image of a petite girl with short pigtails popped up in his mind. She smiled sweetly at him, laughing joyously and tugging on his arm to lead him somewhere.

Even though it was only his imagination teasing him, the mental image made his chest swell with happiness. He couldn't hold back his much-unwanted grin and soft chuckle. It was then that he realized: that was it.

_It's because of her. It's because Geum Jan Di entered my life, I've become like this. With the little things she does every day, she, without knowing it, changed me._

Upon remembering such a person had spent the night in the room next door, he shot up. He was too accustomed to being in this house alone and had completely forgotten that he let her stay with him. Throwing back the covers, he stuck his feet into the slippers by his bedside and rushed into the bathroom to freshen up. Several minutes later, he emerged from his room and went into the living room in hopes of seeing her there.

He looked around and noticed that he was alone after all. Though he should have expected it, he still was a bit disappointed. Feeling his stomach begin to growl, he made his way towards the kitchen when he spotted a yellow piece of paper on the dining table. His curiosity piqued, he went over and held the paper in between his fingers, quickly reading over its message.

"_Sunbae, thank you again for your kindness. I wanted to make you food to eat when you woke up, but I didn't know what you liked. I'll make it up to you tonight when I come back" _

– _Geum Jan Di_

'_When I come back'?_

A tiny, almost undetectable grin pulled at the corner of his lips; placing the note back on the table, the man grabbed for his coat and shoes and walked out the door.  
-

A girl donning a red apron around her waist sat at a table covered with various newspaper pages. Each of them had peculiar markings: some were crossed out, circled, questioned-marked, and commented on. The girl repeatedly tapped the tip of her pen against the table and propped her head with her hand. Her brows furrowed and she let out a cry of annoyance as she slammed her pen on the table and buried her face into her arms. Another girl donning a matching apron burst from the kitchen and came over to her. Upon seeing her stressed friend, she set her hand on her shoulder and proceeded to comfort her.

"Our poor Jan Di. You couldn't find another place?"

The discouraged girl raised her head and shook it side to side. She looked up at her friend and pouted.

"Ga Eul ah, there's nowhere for me to go. Every apartment has such a high rent and I would have to take another part-time job to pay for it"

"Another? But you already have so many!"

"Mm" she nodded. "But if I want to live somewhere, I have to"

"Jan Di ah, you can't! You'd work yourself to death!" she protested. Ga Eul skimmed through the newspaper ads and pointed to one. "How about here? Why'd you X that out? The rent is pretty cheap"

"It's in another city"

"Oh. No, you're right, that wouldn't work. How about this one?"

Jan Di took a glance at which box she was pointing at before lowering her head back into her arms

"The landowner already found someone"

"Hm what about this one?"

"The building was turned into a hair salon shop" she replied without glimpsing at the box. "The owner meant to take down the ad by the end of this week"

The two simultaneously sighed. Ga Eul took a seat beside her friend and tried to come up with solutions, but unfortunately, she couldn't come up with anything. If anything, their financial situations were similar, if not the same already. The most she could do was offer her room to split with, but she rejected the idea, fearing that her family would be burdened by having another mouth to feed.

"Ah it's really hard"

"Mm"

"Jan Di ah" a nearby voice called. The two turned towards the back and found their boss peering from the kitchen. He took a step forward and grinned reassuringly with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Don't worry, you'll find a home soon—I know it"

"Master" Ga Eul exclaimed as she jumped from her seat and stood beside him. "Is that another one of your psychic predictions? Is it going to happen this time?"

"What do you mean _this_ time?" he jabbed, slightly offended.

"Sometimes your predictions aren't always correct" she shot back.

"When have I ever been wrong? I predicted the outcome of that swimming match with F4, didn't I?"

"That was just a huge coincidence" she retorted. "Well tell us! What did you see?"

"I don't want to tell someone who doesn't believe in me" he pouted.

"Okay, okay, I believe in you. Come on, tell us what you saw"

He smiled triumphantly before turning to the disheartened girl sitting at the table across from him.

"I had a vision that you were carrying your luggage through this biiiig, beautiful house. You were wandering around and gaping at its beauty when someone called to you and…"

The two girls exchanged questioning glances at each other.

"And then what?"

"That's it"

"That's it? But what does it mean?" Ga Eul asked as her frown deepened.

"I don't know" the man calmly stated. "Probably nothing"

Ga Eul groaned and yanked at his star-shaped bowtie to relieve her growing irritation. The two glared at each other while Jan Di heaved a heavy sigh.

"Jan Di ah, even though my vision didn't help much, I am 100% sure your home will come and find you. No matter what, you must persevere, okay?"

"Mm" the girl smiled. "I'll do my best"

"Fighting!" the man shouted enthusiastically.

"Fighting!" she responded with just as much energy.

Everyone seemed to be in a happier mood now that a certain someone had regained her youthful drive and characteristic stubbornness. The manager disappeared back into the kitchen and Ga Eul went about wiping the tabletops. The newly-motivated girl picked up her pen and furiously flipped through the pages, scribbling on the ads' margins and circling contact numbers.

_**Ting-a-ling**_

"Welco—Oh!"

Jan Di tore her eyes away from the ads to see what surprised her friend. In turn, she too gaped at whoever had just entered into their porridge shop. A tall, lanky man with medium length golden-brown hair had his hands deep in his coat pockets. He effortlessly gained their undivided attention; his aura, the way he carried himself, was so powerful that everyone, or rather, whoever remained in the shop ceased their activities. What's more, he was staring straight at her. The girl immediately got up from her seat in shock.

"Sunbae! W-What are you doing here?"

His eyes wandered about the shop and its employees for a moment before he gave his answer.

"I came to eat porridge"

"Eh?" was her response. "You want to eat porridge?"

"Mm" he nodded.

"W-Why?" she murmured, half-hoping that he wouldn't hear her. Obviously, Yoon Ji Hoo hears everything.

"There's no food at my house and it's too early to go to a restaurant. Do you mind if I eat here?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by her boss's excitement. He ran into the dining area and quickly muffled her with his hand.

"Of course we don't mind" he laughed. "Ah, sir, what would you like to eat?"

"One abalone porridge, please"

"Of course—if you will wait for a few minutes, I'll make it extra delicious. Please, sit anywhere and make yourself comfortable" he beamed as he released the girl's face and returned to the kitchen. Jan Di's eyes followed her boss's retreating figure and was about to call after him, but she wasn't able to voice it, for the echoing sound of someone approaching her alarmed her and cut off all surfacing thoughts. Her head snapped forward, only to find the handsome man towering over her. He didn't say a word; he merely gazed down into her dark irises with his own.

In the corner of his eye, the various writing on the newspapers spread across the table caught his attention. Removing his hands from his pockets, he reached out to take a closer look at one of the pages.

"No!" Jan Di cried as she slammed her palms onto the table and tried covering the paper's content with as much as her small hands would allow her.

She did well to surprise him, but as usual, he suppressed the emotion from painting itself on his face. He had already seen the title of the paper he had grabbed and felt yet another wave of concern sweep over him.

Jan Di recognized that look he was giving her even though his expression remained blank: he wanted an explanation. He wouldn't ask for one, but she knew, perhaps better than anyone, that he wanted to hear what she had to say.

"A-Ah, t-that's…"

Her pale face turned a slight shade of pink as she desperately tried to think up an excuse for her action.

"I'm…h-helping Ga Eul find an apartment!"

"Eh? Me?" the other girl asked aloud as she was picking up the dirty dishes.

Ji Hoo, noting her surprised tone, glanced over his shoulder at the bewildered waitress. Taking the chance, the flustered girl mouthed for her to play along and that she would make it up to her by making her something good to eat. The silent man could feel the girl shift and move and so turned to her for a moment. Jan Di smiled uneasily in turn and ended up avoiding his strong gaze in case she had to explain herself even further. Fortunately, her friend was able to decipher what she was urgently conveying to her in time. She met Ji Hoo's brown eyes and shakily drew a smile.

"Y-Yes, I'm searching for a place to rent"

"B-But it's hard to find one since they're all so expensive" Jan Di finished, laughing nervously.

"Ah really? I didn't know. I hope you find what you're looking for" he replied coolly, playing along with their charade.

His words took them by surprise; they hadn't expected him to fall for their poor acting and didn't know how to respond.

"What do we do?" Ga Eul mouthed to her friend who was just as puzzled.

"I don't know"

The clumsy girl had only just remembered that Ji Hoo was standing between her and her friend and so could practically see everything that was going on between them. Jan Di, realizing this, coughed into her arm to mask her embarrassment and cleared her throat.

"A-Ah, Sunbae, let me clear the table for you" she offered as she hurriedly gathered the scattered papers and crumpled them into a tight ball. She signaled for her friend to meet up and the two went off; he watched them expertly maneuver around the tables and dash into the kitchen, leaving him alone in the spacious dining area.

Exhaling, he pulled out a seat and patiently waited for his meal to come out. He knew from the start that it would end up like this: her unwilling to reside in him and let him help her with her problematic situations. He wished she would trust in him more and for her to know that he would always be there for her, no matter what happened.

_Could it be because she doesn't know? Does she believe that I'd leave her as soon as trouble starts brewing? …I guess that's how she sees me._

He clenched his fist and his mood started to turn sour. He came by to visit Jan Di and invite her to spend the day with him, but in light of what had happened, he suddenly became a bit sullen and bitter, not wanting to do anything but go home and sleep or laze around. Behind him, he could practically hear the girls' hushed whispers and the clattering of utensils. Not long after, a large bowl filled to the brim with porridge was presented to him.

"Enjoy your meal" Jan Di mumbled and bowed her head, scared of meeting his gaze lest he were to discover her lie and start worrying over her.

She straightened to move out of the way and let him eat in peace. Trying to be as discreet as possible, she held the metal platter against her chest and strode back to her friends' side. The trio watched as the lone man began scooping the steaming porridge into his mouth, his expression not changing in the slightest as far as they could see.

As per the usual day, the shop was more or less silent, save for the soft clinking of the spoon tapping against the inside of the bowl. For some reason though, today was different. It was something about that man who was quietly eating his food that drew their eyes to him; perhaps it was because he was a member of the famous F4 and he was ingesting what people of high status would fondly call "commoner food".

Or maybe, as the others seem sense in him, he came with a hidden purpose. That was more or less what was going through the boss's and Ga Eul's mind. To the boss, he was seen as another friend of Jan Di's—mainly as one of the F4: a cool, handsome angel who graced the shop with his presence. In Ga Eul's perspective, she saw Ji Hoo as a mysterious man who went about his day in mysterious ways—almost a ghost-like figure if it weren't for his blinding beauty and association with the rest of the F4. That was her initial impression of him, but after becoming closer to the boys and hearing how he would often rescue Jan Di in her times of need, she knew better. According to her best friend, he was actually very sweet, caring, and attentive—the complete opposite of his usual image of being cold and emotionless.

_Well… the emotionless part is correct._

When he was about done with his food, Jan Di immediately came over and reached out to take the bowl away. He let her take it without uttering a word and proceeded to stand up.

"Thank you for the meal" he nodded towards the observing boss. "How much do you want me to give for it?"

"E-Eh? Ah t-that" the manager happily waved off. "You don't have to give me anything; it's on the house"

"I insist on paying" as he fished out his wallet from his back pocket and slipped out a large bill.

Upon the appearance of the bill, the boss's jaw dropped and anyone could see that he was starting to waver. His mind was set on the number of zeroes that the slip of paper contained and urged him to accept the man's generosity. However, after recovering from a sharp jab in the ribs, he cleared his throat and continued to politely refuse.

"Any friend of our Jan Di is our friend too. I just hope you take care of her for us when we're not there"

While fidgeting about, he didn't seem to know what to do with his hands and instead stuffed them into the pockets of his apron. Ji Hoo stared at him blankly as the stout man managed a shy grin.

"Then" Ji Hoo trailed off as he extended the bill towards the two. "At least let me pay for Geum Jan Di's time"

The trio gaped at him and couldn't quite register what he was saying. They exchanged glances with each other before the boss could gather his thoughts.

"E-Eh? Paying for her time?"

"Yes" he stated definitively. "I'd like to borrow her for the rest of the day if you'd let me"

Again, the boss was speechless. This man who had a reputation for being quiet and reserved, was so boldly coming into his shop and asking him whether he could borrow his employee?

"Ah t-that I have no say over" he gestured towards the stunned girl. "It's really up to her"

That same calm voice was now directed at the petite, pig-tailed girl who seemed to be just as speechless, if not more.

"M-Me?" she asked while pointing to herself, still not being able to believe what was going on in front of her. "I-I have to stay here and look after the shop. I mean, G-Ga Eul will need my help in tending to our customers"

Upon completing her statement, the air became thick and everyone's eyes were curiously wandering around the near-lifeless room, uncertain of what the girl was talking about. Jan Di noticed their baffled reactions and averted her gaze, mentally chastising herself and chewing on her bottom lip to punish herself for coming up with such a lame excuse.

"So what is your answer?" Ji Hoo asked.

"Um I—"

"She'll definitely go with you!" Ga Eul interrupted as she abruptly stuck herself in between the two. The girl whipped around to face her wide-eyed friend and tightly held her hands in her own.

"Jan Di ah, don't worry about us; we can take care of ourselves so take the day off and enjoy yourself, okay?"

She gave a shaky nod, more from habit than the notion that her friend and her boss were nonchalantly kicking her out of the establishment. Ga Eul's grin widened as she sidestepped to get ahold of Jan Di's apron. In no time, even before Jan Di was able to get her hands on the large knots, the apron was undone and thrown on the back of a nearby chair.

She was then ushered out the restaurant along with the blank-faced man by the excited girl. As soon as the two exited, the door was snapped shut behind them and blockaded by a slender body. A small click sounded, clearly indicating that they were forbidden to come back inside. Jan Di stepped up to the locked door and was about to scold her friend for being so reckless, but the apron-donning girl ignored her shouts and bid them farewell before retreating out of sight.

Jan Di, upon remembering that her stoic sunbae was also present, swiveled on her heels and flashed him a sheepish smile to compensate for her friend's silliness. She tried to explain to him that she was playing a joke on them and that she was acting this way because she was lonely herself. He saw through her, but also couldn't help softly chuckle at the brunette's animated personality. A tanned hand was raised from his side and lowered onto the top of her head, patting it affectionately.

She looked up at him with her big, innocent eyes before ducking her head to hide her creeping blush.

"Do you want to see a movie?" he asked her, his hand still casually on the crown of her skull.

"Eh? A movie?"

"Mm. Do you want to go with me?"

His melted, chocolate-colored eyes bore into her own in anticipation of her response. Meeting his stare, she could definitely see the hopefulness twinkle in his gaze. For some reason, she was only just now noting how handsome he was—well, he had always been handsome in her perspective and apparently in that of all of Korea, but now as she was standing before him in this momentary peace with his warm hand resting on her head, she saw a side of him that was rarely seen. With his sparkling eyes and that boyish half-smirk of his, he seemed...happy. In light of his usual cold image, it was a rare sight indeed.

_Was he always like this? I can't remember a time when Sunbae was truly at peace—maybe when he was alone on the school grounds practicing on his violin?_

She fondly recalled the times she would pass through the school's garden and spot her adored sunbae close his eyes and calmly push and pull the bow, his other hand deftly sustaining the strings and moving about the violin's neck.

He would often come to isolate himself from the rest of the school and indulge himself in his own world; decked out head to toe in his white suit, it was as if he were in the spotlight and she, merely on the side, would watch him produce such beautiful and lulling music as if he were performing a solo concert. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but she always dreamed of a day when he would play just for her. She yearned to hear again the slow, forlorn tune and see him immersed in the music he would pour his heart and soul into. Of the nostalgia that was intended to come from recollecting the memories, they instead brought upon her a newfound sense of guilt.

_He hasn't been able to find the time to play because he's been too busy taking care of my problems. I can't believe myself—how did I become so selfish to depend on Sunbae to lift me up every time I'm down? I should have seen this earlier…I'm so stupid!_

Her eyes started to burn and blur as a lone tear threatened to spill. She in response angrily swiped at her eyes with the back of her wrist, but it was too late—he had already seen her grief and immediately became alarmed.

"Jan Di?"

His shoulders tensed and his shy smile turned rigid. The next minute, a concerned frown adorned his face as he patiently waited for an answer. He withdrew his hand and let it fall back to his side in fear he had done something he shouldn't have.

The girl vigorously shook her head and reached out to touch his forearm to let him know she was alright. With her eyes still red and puffy, she sniffled and grinned with as much strength she could muster.

"It's okay" she reassured him. "It's not your fault—I was just remembering something and I somehow ended up crying"

When she finished explaining, Ji Hoo's concern remained, but definitely felt much more relieved like an unknown weight was lifted from his shoulders. His meek smile returned to his face and he reached over to gently wipe away the watery trails on her cheeks with the pad of his thumb.

"If it makes you sad, you shouldn't think about it—I'd hate to see tears stain your pretty face"

She gave a slight nod and silently let him continue to do away with her tears that didn't seem to want to stop falling. She was grateful to him—oh so grateful. Her own hand shot up and gingerly wrapped around his fingers. He automatically jolted a bit while at the same time reveled in how nice it was to experience such a loving touch.

"Can we still see the movie?" she spoke through her cracking voice.

"Of course—let's go" he happily replied as he firmly grabbed onto her hand and led her down the street.  
-

Hours have passed and night had already fallen. The stars were out and the moon was shining brightly upon them. The city seemed to have burst with life, with the bustling crowds roaming the streets and brilliant, neon signs strewn on every building they passed. The two were walking comfortably home from their trip; the movie had ended about an hour ago and they decided to pick up some groceries on the way back.

Ji Hoo was glad that Jan Di was able to enjoy herself and was even more so at the fact he was able to once again be graced with the opportunity to spend more time with her and get to know her better.

While watching the romantic-film she had picked out, her eyes were practically glued to the wide screen as she absent-mindedly ate into the popcorn bag. He, though not particularly a fan of the genre or watching a movie in general, was able to get in a couple laughs now and then, whether it was directed towards the film or from simply watching Jan Di's rollercoaster of emotions. During the screening, he would often observe the girl's facial expressions and note how her eyes would light up in response to the love scenes. It was interesting, really. He didn't know that women were so attracted to the stuff that was displayed in movies and dramas.

If anything, he now gained more insight on the things she seemed to react well to and can use it for future references whenever they could spend time with each other again.

Ji Hoo, now walking the streets in the night air with Jan Di by his side, stole a glance at his companion. A smile curved his lips, amused at how she was struggling with her share of the grocery bags.

"Would you like me to carry them for you?"

"Ah it's okay, I can handle it"

She hefted the bags up in the air to get a better grip on the flimsy handles, almost dropping them in the process on more than one occasion. Ji Hoo, without uttering a word, quickly relieved her of them and added them to his collection.

"Sunbae" she frowned. "Don't strain yourself—let me carry some for you"

"It's okay" he responded coolly. "It's only a few more bags; I can manage until we get back"

"Ah but it's still a long way" she tried to convince him. "What if you fall under the stress and hurt your back? I don't think I can carry you home, so you should take care of yourself more"

A low snort erupted in response to her absurdity.

"Alright, I understand"

She was taken aback at how easily she got him to comply; the feeling was brief, for joy swept through her body as she was handed the lighter bags. The two continued on their way home, laughing and teasing each other like they had known each other for years. Meanwhile, unknown to them, a black sedan stopped by the intersection just behind them. A window rolled down and eyes peered at them, filled with sorrow and underlying envy as they watched the two interact with one another. An order was given to the driver and as the window was rolled up, the car was on its course.  
-

The black car parked directly in front of the stone gate that led to Yoon Ji Hoo's home. The rear window was again rolled down and out stuck a peculiar head with dark eyes intently focused on the front door. The observer had seen the two enter and was waiting for one of them to reappear out the door for a chance to strike.

Jan Di, after having cooked and eaten dinner with her sunbae, concentrated on packing her suitcase. She piled her clothes tightly into the confined space and grunted to close it all up. She released an accomplished sigh and hoisted the bag from the floor. Teetering side to side, she barely managed to lift her bag into the living room before she felt the stinging urge to set it down. Breathing heavily, she knelt beside the standing suitcase and rested her head against its side.

"Wah, what did I put in here to make it so heavy?"

She lifted her head and her eyes started wandering about. Every inch of the house was carefully designed and adorned with marvelous decorations; it was indeed a beautiful home, but it was so still and suffocating—there was something about the house that incited sadness in her; a morose aura seemed to be constantly hanging above her head.

_How does Sunbae stand to live in a house so quiet? It's so lonely…_

The girl got on her feet and resumed moving her belongings. Now rested from carrying the heavy load, she was determined more than ever to finish what she started.

"Leaving already?" a silky voice echoed.

She got such a shock from hearing such a voice that she nearly tripped over herself. The bottom of the suitcase dipped forward and threatened to crash into the polished floor. Fortunately, she was able to catch it in time; otherwise, it would have been very embarrassing for her underwear to spill all over the floor and be displayed.

Jan Di slowly turned around and found the golden-haired man standing not too far behind.

"Sunbae! You gave me such a fright"

He didn't respond and merely continued staring with that blank expression of his. She noticed that he wasn't looking at her, but at the suitcase she was holding in her hands. He took a step forward and extended his hand, presumably to carry the suitcase for her, but she didn't let him. At his touch, she pulled away.

"Ah don't worry, I got it"

He froze in his place and appeared to be hurt by her gesture. He withdrew his hands and instead hid them in his pants pockets, focusing his sight on something else other than her.

She gulped while watching him, pained to see him like that, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to let him know that she was capable of taking care of herself and that he should be more concerned with his own happiness. It probably wasn't the best way, she admitted, but she had to start somewhere.

"Where do you plan on going?" he asked her in a low tone, just loud enough for her to hear.

"I think I'm going to take that apartment offer up north" she said through a forced smile. "Either that or I'm going to find my parents and move back in with them. If it comes to that, I probably won't be coming back to Shinhwa"

Ji Hoo's eyes widened and his head snapped forward to face her. He didn't say anything, but it was all there: his disbelief, his sadness all evident in those dark, caramel irises of his.

"Is that what you want?"

"Mm" she hesitantly nodded. "My parents must be worried about me. I should go visit them soon"

"Oh, I see" he muttered under his breath. "In that case, at least let me drive you there"

She was about to politely turn down his offer, but saw the half-pleading gaze he gave her and accepted. It was the least she could do before leaving.

He attempted a smile to mask his surfacing despair as he took her bag and strolled through the halls towards the exit.  
-

The figure sitting in the black sedan was growing impatient. His entire body was restless and tired from waiting too long in the backseat.

_What's taking her so long?_

He was on the verge of barking an order to drive, but called it off immediately after seeing the front door swing open. Out came the slender, golden-haired man followed by the pig-tailed girl. The tall silhouette lifted the loaded suitcase onto the seat of the motorcycle and upon hearing the echoing thump, stood still.

Even from the car, he could see that the girl was asking him something, to which he responded by whipping around. He could see his lips moving, but couldn't make out what he was telling her, or what she was telling him, for that matter. He squinted his eyes to get a closer look, but to no avail. His hand grabbed for the car door and hurriedly pushed it open; he swung his leg out and stretched his long legs. He was about to approach the two and surprise them with his presence when he saw his friend rush forward and clutch Jan Di's wrist. His lips were moving, faster now as he tightly held onto the girl. She listened to his every word and hung her head.

He could see her shoulders tremble and shake; he wanted to run over there and punch his supposed friend square in the jaw for making her cry, but instead felt his heart drop as he saw him lead her into a warm embrace. She clung onto the front of his sweater and buried her face into his chest; the golden-haired figure rested his chin on top of her head and mouthed something inaudible to her. She in return, nodded and gently peeled away from the embrace. He squeezed her shoulders and made for the suitcase, dragging the both of them into the house with him.

In his current state of shock and confusion, he couldn't believe what just happened in front of him. What did Ji Hoo whisper to his Jan Di and why did she let him take her back into his house?

So many questions were circling around his head—none of which he had the answer to. Feeling his throat constrict and chest tighten, he lowered himself into the backseat and slammed the door after him.

His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Sighing deeply, he yanked it out and saw that his mother was calling him—now wasn't the time. He ceased the incessant vibrating and tossed the device across the seat.

"Go" he uttered to the driver as he let his head fall against the headrest and closed his eyes.

_What is happening?  
-_

**Alright! Second chapter is done! This is actually a much faster update than I had previously thought. I usually take about a month or so; that being said, I hope there aren't any expectations for me to complete the next one anytime soon! I've halted my writing activities for my other stories as well to concentrate on my upcoming exams, so please bear with it for the time being! Anyway, onto the chapter: how was it? I'm curious to know, so please comment!**


	3. Chapter 3: First Night Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boys Over Flowers or the characters  
-**

Jan Di crossed her legs on the floor beside her suitcase and sighed deeply. Just moments ago, she was walking out the door and breathing in the cool night air, prepared to take the long train ride south to the fishing village her parents and little brother were residing in, but now she was on the floor of Ji Hoo's home getting ready to unpack her things. Such a drastic change in a matter of minutes—what had happened?  
-

_Ji Hoo loaded the small suitcase onto the seat of his motorcycle. It was then that it finally hit him: she was leaving to go far away and possibly for good—that wasn't acceptable. He didn't want her to leave. Even if she were to happily go about her days completely oblivious to his feelings for her, he would be alright with that as long as he got to see her smiling face. Never before did he ever consider her wanting to move away though._

_He let his hand slide across the top of the velvety case and fall limply against his waist. Behind him, a girl of average height and lean build stopped just a couple feet away._

"_Sunbae, are you okay? Is there something wrong?" she asked, her concern lacing her voice._

_He turned around and stared at her straight in the eye._

"_Jan Di"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Can I ask you something?"_

"_O-Oh of course. What did you want to ask me?"_

"_Do you have to go?" he said in a low tone. "Can't you stay here with us?"_

_She was taken aback, the evidence of shock strewn across her pale face like an ugly bruise. She hadn't expected him to confront her about the matter, or rather, not so suddenly. Her lips quivered and her words seemed stick in her throat._

"_I-It'd be best if I don't stay. My parents and Kang San need me; I should fulfill my duty as a good daughter and help them in any way I can"_

_He listened intently to her words, processing and analyzing the slew of emotions that flashed through her doe-like eyes. He saw that she was having difficulty coming to a resolve—she was still unsure of her decision, and it was clear in her inability to keep still. Still, he continued to let her speak._

"…_I've only been causing trouble for everyone and I don't want that to happen anymore. I've been especially worrisome for you, Sunbae. I'm sorry"_

_It was then that something snapped inside him. It was that phrase again—that damned phrase he heard so many times and grew to detest._

_Ji Hoo surged forward and in the blink of an eye, closed the gap between them. She looked a little frightened and was about to take a step back, but not this time. His fingers extended outward and firmly wrapped around her wrist to keep her in place. His eyes, once fairly calm, were now wide with annoyance and rising anger._

"_Tell me confidently" he demanded._

"_E-Eh? Sunbae—"_

"_If you really want to go, say it with confidence so I can be assured you will be happy with your choice"_

"_I…I want to go" she half-mumbled. _

_Her gaze dropped to the floor and her body started to shudder. _

"_Are you certain? Think about it a little more: are you willing to leave your friends and school behind like this after all we've been through? Once you're gone, do you believe you won't be missed? You've left a huge hole in us, Geum Jan Di, one that only you can fill"_

_She tried to stop her sadness from surfacing, but her attempts only made her tears fall even faster._

"_I-I can't" she whimpered, her vision blurring and her nose running. "I shouldn't…"_

"_Shouldn't what? What's the real reason behind this? Are you being forced to do it because of Joon Pyo's mother? If so, I will protect you" he declared. "I will protect you from all harm and keep you safe"_

"_Sunbae…"_

_Upon hearing her call to him, his anger and harsh tone dissipated; his eyes, hardened from the emotional spike, melted into a rich, caramel color and an inkling of guilt rose in his stomach. He hadn't meant to make her cry, but he needed a confirmation that her choice was indeed what she wanted. If it was, he would have let her go without putting up a fight—even if it killed him. It was for her sake, after all, and if she wouldn't be happy, why should she have to go through it? She was Geum Jan Di, the fragile-looking girl who worked miracles and braved through perilous dangers because of her stubborn sense of justice and righteousness; she deserved to be happy and it pained him to see her otherwise._

_Relaxing his strong grip on her wrist, he gently tugged her towards him. She put up no resistance and obediently followed after his lead, letting him pull her into an embrace. Long, wiry arms wrapped around her upper back and held the shaking body tightly against him._

_Jan Di's hands slowly lifted from her sides and balled handfuls of the man's sweater in her clenched fists. Her head settled on his chest and she nestled into his inviting warmth; as the salty liquid streamed down her cheeks, she could feel the remnants of her tears soak into the soft material. She immediately felt sorry and lifted her head to apologize, when a hand laid her back into her former position—the message, clear._

_Ji Hoo rested his chin on top of her head and reassuringly patted her back. _

"_It's getting cold—you should go inside" he whispered._

_She bobbed her head up and down and straightened herself, wiping away the last of her tears. She sniffled a bit and flashed him a shaky smile. He, in return, gave her one of his own and clasped her shoulders before snatching the suitcase handle in one hand and her in the other. They strode across the driveway and into the house where Ji Hoo handed her the luggage and went off into the kitchen to make tea for them to drink.  
-_

In the meantime, while he was preparing tea, she retreated into her room and set her bag down.

"I'm back to where I started" she mumbled to herself. "Geum Jan Di, you really are something"

She let out another sigh and shouted a motivational cheer as she reached over and began unzipping the suitcase. The lid was pried open and piles of neatly-folded clothes were removed and placed beside her. Taking a pile in her hands, she got on her feet and searched the room for a place to store them. On the opposite side of the room, she found a beautiful chest of drawers. She approached it and saw that the drawers were all perfectly aligned and in mint condition, as if they hadn't been used.

She ran a hand across its smooth surface and marveled its intricate, yet elegant design and superior craftsmanship. By the time she had reached the corner of the chest, she had come to a decision.

Her hand retracted from the polished wood and instead dove underneath the stack of clothes she carried. She was just about look to see where else she could place her belongings, when a deep voice broke through the silence.

"You can put it in there if you want"

She jumped and faced the owner of the voice, only to find a tall, slender silhouette standing by the doorway with two steaming cups in his hands.

"A-Ah, Sunbae, it's okay, I'll find somewhere else" she grinned.

"Is there something about it you don't like?"

"Eh? N-No!" she exclaimed. "It's not that I don't like it, I just don't want to ruin it by putting my clothes in it"

He stared at her with a blank expression; it was as if he was trying to mentally decipher what it was she was trying to tell him. He didn't mention it, but instead walked over to her and placed the cups of tea on the chest. Next, he swung open the top-most drawer and swiftly and decisively, took the pile from her and placed them into the space before shoving it shut. Jan Di somewhat flinched as she heard the drawer screech and scratch against the others and its frame.

"S-Sunbae, your—"

"It's alright; they haven't been used so it will take a while to get it to work properly"

"A-Are you sure?" she asked in concern.

"These things were meant to store items; putting your clothes into them isn't harmful"

"B-But—"

"It's okay," he assured her. "I'd rather have them be worn and used than have them sitting and collecting dust"

She nodded in compliance and bowed her head, to which Ji Hoo merely smiled. He held up the two cups and offered one to her; she gratefully accepted and took a sip of the brown, bitter-smelling liquid.

Her face lit up in delight and she peered up at the observing man who also took a mouthful from his own cup. She was gaping at him with bulging eyes.

"Wah, Sunbae, this is great!"

"Is it really? I'm glad you like it"

"You're skilled in making tea" she grinned as she jutted her thumb towards the ceiling. "You're the best"

He sheepishly chuckled and ducked his head. His heart started to race and he could feel the beginning of a blush creep onto his cheeks. It's been a long time since he was complimented like this—much too long. It was an exhilarating feeling—one he had almost forgotten. And it felt good to feel it again.

"Thank you"

"It's natural to praise someone for his good points" she replied, completely unaware of the underlying meaning of his words.

The golden-haired figure downed the rest of the tea and extended his free hand towards her.

"I'll take it if you're done"

"Ah, let me do it" she offered as she finished her drink and shot out an open palm. "It's the least I can do for you"

He, though a bit reluctant, handed her his empty cup. She happily took it and strolled out of the room, leaving him behind in the still room. He followed shortly after and found her in the kitchen turning on the faucet. He wasn't very far; he was able to see her every movement as he stood watching her as she hummed a tune and thoroughly scrubbed the porcelain cups. Having finished with the cleaning part, she searched left and right for a towel to dry them with.

Ji Hoo was about to step in and direct her to where he kept them, but stopped upon seeing she already had one in her hand. She dried them until they were practically shining and turned them in her hands to admire her work. Next, her eyes roamed to find where they were to go.

He shuffled forward in his slippers and gently whisked the cups from her grasp and opened the cabinet right above her. With the help of his long arms, he easily reached over the girl's head and set the cups in their rightful places. As he was doing so, a certain pig-tailed girl turned red and averted her gaze.

Her breath quickened and she shied away upon realizing the close proximity the two were currently in. Every time he inhaled, his chest would brush against her back and every time he exhaled, the hot air would tickle her skin and send shivers up her spine. She had to get out of there fast or else she'd faint from all the blood rushing to her face. Jan Di shrunk within herself and dived under Ji Hoo's outstretched arm before scurrying away in a hurry.

"T-Thank you!" she shouted as she disappeared from sight.

Ji Hoo watched her go and a fleeting look of bafflement crossed his otherwise blank face; he hadn't the slightest clue as to why she ran off like that when he only helped her put the cups away. His head tilted in contemplation, but in the end, decided to let it go. With his hands in his pockets, he casually walked through the various rooms and towards his bedroom.  
-

Jan Di sat with her back against the door and her knees tucked to her chest. She instantly regretted having run from him and silently prayed for him to forget what happened earlier; when she heard the soft sounds of his slippers sliding against the floor, she held her breath. She waited for that moment when he would either knock on her door or pass it and head into his room. She dreaded his coming to ask why she had acted so strangely and dreaded even more so on the idea of having to explain to him.

She waited and waited, but it was silent—no knocking, no door closing. Curiosity rising in her, she stood up and swung the door wide open. Without giving it a second thought, she stuck her head out and there, just to the right of her, stood Ji Hoo in the middle of entering his room, his dark irises fixated on hers. At the sight of him, Jan Di's jaw dropped and her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"I-I wanted to say g-goodnight" she stammered.

"Oh. Sleep well" he calmly responded, seemingly unaffected by her odd behavior.

She gave a hesitant nod of thanks and slowly withdrew into the room without another word. The door closed after her and as soon as it clicked into place, the pit-pattering of feet and a strange, muffled noise reached his ears. Ji Hoo stepped out from the doorway and stood in front of her door. He rapped on the wooden barrier with his knuckles and hovered closer.

"Y-Yes?" came a small voice.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes!" she exclaimed. "I-I was just um…stretching!"

"Oh I see. Be careful not to strain anything" he advised as he leaned away and returned to his bedroom.

She faintly heard his door closing and let out an exasperated groan. She grabbed her pillow and resumed screaming into it to relieve her of her embarrassment.

"Wah, Geum Jan Di, you're amazing; you did it again" she grumbled aloud.

"Aish" she cried as she hit the side of her head.

The girl dropped back into the folds of her bed and buried herself within the covers. She turned on her side and spotted a silvery ornament in the corner of her eye. She sat right up and gently ran over the grooves and bumps of the star-shaped necklace piece with her fingertips. She turned the piece over and carefully traced each engraved letter with the pad of her thumb.

_J&J_

"Goo Joon Pyo" she murmured to herself as she continued examining the necklace. Her eyes felt heavy and her mouth drooped into a frown; the sight of the piece brought back a flood of memories—some she would rather not have remembered for a while. All the discussions, arguments, and tenderness between them were circling around her like a whirlwind and flying in every direction.

At one point, she couldn't distinguish one from the other—mainly because each memory had such an odd mix of emotions she couldn't pinpoint a specific one. Like for example, how they initially met in the halls of Shinhwa; when she saw him walking towards him, for a split second, she thought he was cool and handsome, even with that arrogant expression of his, but after seeing how cruelly he treated the brave girl who confessed to him by dumping her cake on her head, every delusion of him shattered. From then on, whenever she saw him roaming the school with the rest of the F4 or even caught his name, her hatred for him grew and in time, her face naturally contorted in disgust. From then on, their love-hate relationship—mostly hate, was born.

Now, though, she had no idea what was going on between them. One moment, he was all puppy-eyed, the next, cold and indifferent, and suddenly puppy-eyed again. That moment they parted on the bridge in Macau was the ultimate deal breaker. He had broken her heart and left her completely devastated; she probably wouldn't have been able to smile again if it weren't for that generous gondolier and Ji Hoo's—

"Ji Hoo Sunbae" she whispered.

The name itself rolled off her tongue nicely, and even more so, elicited feelings of happiness in her. He had always been there when she needed it and was always there to lift her spirits up—almost like an angel sent down from the heavens to watch over her. She couldn't even imagine how she would have survived the brutality of the Shinhwa students or even through the day if it weren't for him.

He was her special firefighter and most importantly, her dear friend: one she would lament if they were to somehow become estranged. In the time it took for her to get to know him, she felt that of everyone, he was the one who deserved happiness the most. There had always been a sullen air about him, as if he felt nothing but sadness and fatigue, and only recently, had that started to dissipate into something...more. After the departure of Min Seo-Hyun, her new beloved friend and Ji Hoo's long love, she figured he would be in such a slump he wouldn't even show his face, but to her surprise as well as everyone else's, he did.

In fact, he seemed somewhat happier, like the weight of the chains surrounding his heart had been undone and had fallen to his feet. As she would spend time with him, she would note that that happiness would only seem to grow and blossom like a beautiful flower.

_Sunbae is definitely a mysterious character. He's so hard to figure out sometimes…_

It was then that she remembered that one night in New Caledonia when she found him sitting by the sailboat all alone, staring out into the rippling waters. She had been out for a walk, to get some fresh air, to clear her head about the situation between Ji Hoo and Seo-Hyun and her own with Joon Pyo, but the moment her eyes met with his, everything clashed together. She remembered every moment of that trip…that fateful night…by that fateful boat…where she believed it all started.  
-

_Jan Di walked down the strait and slowly approached him, her eyes never looking away from his and his watching her every move. Neither said a word and simply acknowledged each other's presence, it neither being awkward nor intrusive. She hesitated a moment, quickly flashing him a worried glance, before settling beside him. From the other side, he pulled out a small clay pot with a single lily stemmed into the dark dirt. He held it out before him and gave it a twirl._

"_The meaning of a Lily of the Valley flower…do you know it?"_

_She turned to him in confusion._

"_Without fail…you will become happy" he muttered._

"_Mm. Therefore, that's why you only give it to someone you love"_

"_So our Jan Di does know" he smiled. "You seem to know a lot about flowers"_

"_Ah, no, not at all. That market we went to in the day, the girl who was selling them, she told me the meaning"_

"_I see. I came often with her…because she said it was similar to 'nice', she said. She loved it"_

"_She's doing good right?"_

"_She…probably is, probably even more now since I left"_

"_Hm?" she asked inquisitively. "Did something happen?"_

"_No, it's nothing important, but tell me: why…why did you tell me to go after her?"_

"_That's…" her words couldn't form and frankly, she had no idea why she did what she did. "I thought you'd want to be together. I…didn't want to see you so sad"_

"_Thank you though, for giving me the confidence I needed. Because of you, I discovered something interesting"_

"_What did you find?"_

"_I found out…what a pathetic guy I am. In a completely empty apartment…all day long, aside from waiting, there was nothing else to do. I realized that what I wanted then, what I held so preciously for the past 15 years, wasn't there—at least…not for me"_

_Jan Di immediately looked down at her feet. A pang shot through her chest and she could sense a tear making its way to her eye._

"_A-Ah but, it was probably good just being together, right? She must have been shocked to see you, but I'm sure she was really happy to have you there with her"_

_A rueful smile found its way onto his lips. He lifted his head and set his gaze now onto the bright stars that were scattered about as if he were waiting for an answer to appear in front of him. _

"_Do you know what it's like to be excess baggage to the woman you love?"_

_His dark irises briefly met with hers before he faced forward._

"_She didn't say it directly, but I could see it clearly on her face. That worried look she would wear…it would only be towards me"_

"_That must be a mistake! She wouldn't—"_

"_You told me guys who couldn't do anything on their own are pathetic"_

"_B-Back then—"_

"_You were right. For me…aside from the fact that I loved one woman like a habit…I was a pathetic loser that didn't know how to do anything. I depended on others, shrugged them away, and later, I found myself with almost nothing—nothing I can hold onto and call my own"_

_The slight girl hung her head and frowned. She had no idea how hurt he was and felt completely guilty that all this wouldn't have happened if she hadn't meddled into their affairs._

"_I'm sorry Sunbae" she murmured. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't pushed you to go to Paris, then—"_

_It was then that she saw a particular flower invade her vision. It was the lily from earlier. Her eyes widened a bit at realizing that Ji Hoo was handing her, a mere commoner, the symbolic flower of eternal love and happiness._

"_Let's go" he stated confidently._

_Her lips quivered and shook. She was taken aback at the gesture, flattered even, but she in the end shook her head. She had to refuse._

"_I-I can't accept it" she told him. "This belongs to Seo-Hyun Unnie; you should give it to her yourself"_

_A saddened look crossed his eyes as he set the pot beside him once more. The moment she heard the echoing clunk of clay hitting wood, her chest felt a bit tighter and her throat, dryer. She straightened herself up and pushed herself off the wood._

"_I'm going to go in now. You should too, Sunbae; if you stay here too long you'll catch a cold"_

_She flashed him a small grin and proceeded to walk away. However, she wasn't able to take a single step, for a hand tightly wound her arm and spun her around. The next thing she knew, a head of golden-brown hair was quickly coming towards her and she collided against his chest. That same hand that pulled her in encircled her back and firmly held her against him; it shifted and grabbed her shoulder to hold her even tighter, so tight she barely had room to move—but perhaps, that's what he intended. His head, resting upon her shoulder, nestled into the crook of her neck, and slowly breathed in her comforting scent._

"_I'm cold inside" he whispered shakily. "I'm so cold, I can't bear it"_

_Jan Di was completely frozen. The famous Yoon Ji Hoo, the calm, stone-faced man, was breaking before her. The sight of it tore at her heart and willed tears to come forth, but she stayed still. What could she have done to heal him? What did she have to offer?_

_The two remained in that position for another minute or so, but Ji Hoo, upon sensing her rising level of discomfort, reluctantly began to withdraw. His arm slid from her and he leaned away. It was then though, that thin arms snaked around his waist, ceasing all comprehensible thought._

"_I'm sorry, Sunbae. I'm sorry I put you through all this"_

_He gulped back his rising tears and silently wrapped his arms around her tiny frame._

_He buried his face into her shoulder and exhaled deeply, feeling at least some level of relief and comfort in that he wasn't alone and someone was there for him…once more._

_After a moment of what seemed like hours, the two parted. They walked together back to their cabin rooms and bid each other goodnight, lingering a little towards the end, but ultimately ending the secret moment they shared. They both knew without voicing it, that the incident wouldn't be mentioned—not that they were embarrassed about it, it was just that there was no real reason to._

_It was their own moment.  
- _

Jan Di could practically still feel his internal turmoil seep into her skin like a towel dipped in water. It had remained dormant all this time and suddenly became active at recalling the near-lost memory: funny, she only remembered it now. What could it mean?

The girl pushed herself back into the mattress with a huff and yanked the blanket up to her chin. The silver necklace dangled in between her fingers, shimmering and sparkling under the dim light. The thing reminded her of _him,_ and he was the last thing that should be on her mind.

Her fingers reached back to unclasp the necklace from her but withdrew at the touch of the cool metal.

_Still…_

Jan Di heaved a soft sigh before tucking the silver piece inside her jacket. She felt its cold, rough texture hit her skin and a tiny shudder crawled up her spine. Regardless, she held it tightly against her chest and proceeded to delve deeper into the dream world.

_Things will get better—I'm sure of it.  
-_

**Hi guys! Sorry the story hasn't gone very far in the 3 chapters, but I promise that it will! It won't just be fluff and stuff between our Jan Di and Ji Hoo. Well anyway, I still have exams coming up, but I found out that I had this chapter almost completed, so I thought I might as well finish it before I disappear for another couple weeks or so. I hope everyone is doing well! Thank you all for reviewing! I really appreciate it and I feel happy just reading them, especially seeing names like "Unnie" and "Author-nim" (:**

**Anyway, drop a review now and then and I'll see you around!**


	4. Chapter 4: A Not-So-Hidden Guardian

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boys Over Flowers or the characters  
-**

The brunette girl rose into a sitting position with her eyes still tightly shut. It was early morning and her body had shifted without her really knowing—a habit she developed when she was still living in that small apartment with her family. What was different was the absence of the soft pit-pattering of her mother moving about in the dining room and her family's muffled voices. The faint smell of cleaning detergents and the freshly made breakfast didn't reach her nostrils this time; instead, the silence took hold of her. It was foreign and she had awoken because of it.

The girl rubbed her eyes with the back of her sleeve and gazed about the spacious room. Everything was clean and orderly: neither an item nor a speck of dust was out of place, save for the rumpled sheets she spent the night in. Her face twisted and contorted at the bit of sunshine that seeped into the dim room; she sighed and tossed the blanket aside. In all honesty, she wanted to just lie there and return to the dream realm once more, but she couldn't, for it wasn't like her to do so.

Her entire life, she always found something to busy herself with, whether it was the multiple part-time jobs she took on or the constant schoolwork piled on her; now wasn't the time to start being lazy. Laziness was simply a luxury that she rarely had the opportunity to indulge in, and besides, what could she have done?

And so the half-asleep girl donned her slippers and quickly made the bed as neatly as she could. Once finished, she made her way towards the opposite end of the room and slipped outside, shutting the bedroom door behind her as she strode across the house. Taking a deep breath of the cool morning air, she bent down and swung two smaller doors open. A look of contemplation briefly crossed her face before it melted into one of joy. A pale hand reached out and pulled out several pots and pans from underneath and immediately set to work.  
-

A delicious aroma filled the house and drifted into the other room where the golden-haired man slept soundly. The scent wafted up his nose and not long after, his eyes cracked open. He took in another whiff and confirmed that it was indeed the smell of food.

The workers that tended to the house couldn't have been the ones who were going about in his kitchen; he never liked being around people, especially in his own home and safe haven, so he had arranged for them to arrive when he was to be away. Well, he wasn't away: he was lying on his king-sized bed staring up at the blank ceiling with a thick blanket wrapped around his body. That could have only meant one thing: Jan Di was still here.

He let out a low groan as he sat up and threw the covers away from him. He moved forward a couple steps and stopped in front of an elegant wardrobe which he opened up and pulled out a set of clothes from. With the garments slung over his arm, he closed the wardrobe and headed over to freshen up. He appeared from his room in a crisp white dress shirt, faded gray cardigan, and white slacks with a subtle hint of cologne surrounding him. The man neatly swept stray strands of hair from his face and strode towards the kitchen, where he was sure someone would be there waiting for him.

He moved closer in the direction in which the tempting aroma led him towards and true to his prediction, there she was. Her silhouette was distinguishable in the otherwise empty household and her presence automatically drew him to her. As he was approaching, he deliberately made loud shuffling noises to catch her attention, knowing she wouldn't have detected him if he hadn't done so.

The last thing he wanted was to cause trouble for her. Jan Di whirled around and when she saw him, smiled brightly, which brought a tiny smile to his face as well.

"Sunbae, you're up already?"

"Mm" he nodded. "I smelled something delicious and decided to see what you were up to"

"Ah" she acknowledged. "But it's nothing special—just a basic breakfast. I'm sorry I couldn't make it as extravagant though"

"It's fine," he assured. "You've tried your best and what you've done is much more than enough. Since I normally don't eat in the morning, it's definitely different from what I'm used to"

"Sunbae, you shouldn't skip breakfast" she pouted. "It keeps you awake and gives you fuel to get through the day. Maybe that's why you're always so tired" she mused.

A deep chuckle sounded from the back of his throat.

"That's possible. Is that why you woke up early to make it?"

"Oh no, that's not it; I had wanted to cook for you last morning but didn't get the chance to so I'm making up for it"

"I see" he stated, hiding his slight disappointment.

"You must want to eat. I'll get it for you right now" she chirped.

Without another moment to waste, she turned from him and started scooping the steaming rice into a porcelain bowl. Once filling it, she immediately set her focus on to the other dishes she had prepared and began arranging the bowls and utensils onto the silver platter.

She moved each and every item without pause and did so with such grace and confidence, he could've mistaken her for a professional. Reality quickly set in and he recalled that the girl was indeed no amateur: she had served and dealt with food for years, as part of her job in the porridge restaurant, even if all her duties involved cleaning up after someone else. Regardless, his dark eyes couldn't seem to turn away from her.

"Do you want me to help with anything?" he finally asked.

"Ah no, it's okay, I'm almost done with everything. Please sit down Sunbae and I'll be with you soon"

He nodded once more and did as she asked. He pulled out a chair and seated himself, waiting in anticipation as the clattering ceased. From behind, he could hear her careful footsteps as she approached; he could feel her behind him and a second later a large tray filled with various bowls and foods was presented in front of him. Ji Hoo was completely awed at how appetizing the food looked and amazed at how this girl, Geum Jan Di, was able to make it all in such a short time. Of course he didn't show it, but his respect for her, high enough as it is, just rose a bit more.

"I hope it's to your tastes" she said as she withdrew the platter from the table.

It was then that Ji Hoo noticed that something was missing. His caramel irises tore from the delicacies before him and rose to meet the dark ones that gazed down on him. Jan Di was aware that the stare he was shooting at her meant that something was on his mind; however, the question was, what was it?

"Is there something wrong? Did I make too much?"

"Geum Jan Di"

"Eh? Yes?"

"Where's yours? Did you already eat?"

"Ah" she smiled softly. "That's what you meant. I'm alright, Sunbae, I'm just glad I got to do this for you"

He, of course, was a little skeptical, but he didn't say a word and continued holding his stare. He didn't pressure her—he never did, but he was sure that she knew that he would want her to explain the oddity. He had, after all, looked forward to eat with her.

The girl cleared her throat and momentarily broke eye contact.

_Here it comes._

"I…didn't eat yet" she mumbled.

"Then—" Ji Hoo pushed back his chair and motioned towards the kitchen.

"No wait!" she called out while holding the silver platter tightly against her chest.

The tall figure halted and turned to face her. Her strong protest to nourish herself definitely raised questions. He slightly tilted his head as he met with her nervous, flitting eyes. She fidgeted in her place and clasped her hands.

"I packed a big lunch today so I thought I didn't need to. Plus, I'm working late after school today"

The stone-faced man took a step forward and laid both hands on her shoulders. He bent down and inched closer to her face while carefully examining her mix of emotions.

He hadn't intended to but he found that his eyes began to wander about her pale face. They melted while trailing down her features: from her dark brows, down the bridge of her nose, to the grooves of her pink lips. He didn't go any further—he didn't need to because that's what he found he wanted. The memory of when they first shared a kiss by the dock of New Caledonia surfaced in his mind and he suddenly had the urge to feel her lips against his again. For once, he acted on his urge and leaned in for the kill. At the same time, Jan Di began to shrink away, keeping a distance between them and obviously uncomfortable with the extremely close proximity. The man was quick to notice and halted just before their foreheads could touch.

"For someone who tells me to be healthy, you sure aren't yourself" he joked as he straightened himself and affectionately ruffled her hair. "Just make sure not to overdo it, okay?"

Her expression softened and she seemed to be her normal self again. She smiled sweetly up at him and her eyes glistened with excitement.

"I won't. Thank you, Sunbae, for always watching over me"

"It's what I must do as your honorary firefighter"

"Mm. Make sure to eat it well"

He gave a slight nod and sat back down. The silk napkin was laid across his lap and he took up the silver chopsticks. While Jan Di marched back towards the kitchen area, he sampled the dishes and was delightfully pleased with the results. It was a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time—one that surpassed that of any of the highly acclaimed restaurants he had ever eaten in.

He was careful not to drop a single grain of rice in appreciation of the hard work the girl had put into it. The simple, home-cooked meal that Jan Di prepared was filled with love and care—a somber, yet joyful reminder of his late parents and how his mother would occasionally cook for him and how his father would smile down at him and pat his head. Each time he recollected moments with his parents, the horrid car crash scene would play over and over in his mind, but oddly, this time it didn't. He didn't even know he _had _memories of eating with his family. How long has it been since then?

Ji Hoo was lost in his own world—so much he didn't quite register the presence of a certain someone standing next to him until he felt a light tap on his arm. He blinked and slowly turned to the side, only to see the navy-blue and white of a coat invade his vision. He briefly glanced over the iconic Shinhwa emblem that was sewn onto front before meeting the face of the owner. Jan Di tilted her head in confusion as she took a peek at his progress.

"Sunbae, if you don't like it, I'll be glad to make something else for you"

"H-Huh?" he asked as he saw what she was eyeing. "Ah, no, it's fine. It's really delicious. Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"Ah~ this? My mom taught me when I was little. She and Dad wanted to get the dry-cleaning store open as early as possible so she had me help out in the kitchen a lot"

"Oh really? It must have been hard for you as a kid"

She shook her head.

"Not too much; it was fun. Besides, I was happy to be able to help—oh?" she exclaimed as she looked at her watch. "I'm going to be late"

The brunette bent down and swung her backpack around her arms. Once settled, she folded her hands in front of her and bowed deeply to the seated man.

"I'll be going now"

"Wait, I'll drive you" Ji Hoo suggested as he moved to get out of his chair.

"You don't have to do that" she protested, throwing her hands out in front of her. "It's not that far from here and it'd be a burden to drive when you haven't even finished eating. It'd be easier for both of us if I walk; I'll see you soon!" she called out while heading towards the exit.

The golden-haired man was frozen in his mid-standing position. His dark eyes watched her disappearing outline round the corner and heard the door creak shut. For the first time in ages, he felt alone.

It was a fleeting moment, but it was there; it was a shadow looming over him: odd and out of place, like he didn't belong. He was split between chasing after her and staying put as she had wanted. He grabbed the hanging silk napkin from his lap and threw it onto the table while simultaneously pushing his chair back to stand. He set his chopsticks down and before he bolted out the door, caught one last look at the spread before him. The prepared meal was still somewhat steaming, but it was cooling down fast; any moment from now, it would become stale and lose its original glamour.

_She woke up early in order to make this…it would be an insult if I were to leave it here to go to waste._

For a split second, he had considered storing it and saving it for later or even giving it to the house cleaners that would arrive in about an hour or so. As soon as the idea was conceived, it was scrapped, for he realized that none of the options gave Jan Di's work the respect it deserved. She made it for him—for _him _and he wanted to let it sit in the refrigerator until he came back? The very injustice of it brought a scowl to his face. He wanted to go after her, but it seemed that no matter what he could come up with, it was inevitable that he would end up staying behind.

With the beginnings of a disgruntled look creeping onto his face, he quickly took a seat and snatched up the chopsticks.  
-

Jan Di strode down the streets leading to the school. Gazing around, she saw that the buildings surrounding her were not all too familiar; if she wasn't careful, she could easily get lost. She continued marching down the pebbled roads and hiked up the hills. She then encountered a two-way street and came to a stop at the intersection. Round eyes searched left and right in search of a clue indicating she was on the right path.

To her misfortune, she found none: wherever she walked, she would usually mentally mark them by their features and the names of the stores, but at this point, deep into a foreign neighborhood, they all blended together. She was beginning to worry, but her mind cut off any such feeling. Jan Di vigorously shook her head side to side and tightly shut her eyes. She tried picturing the route Ji Hoo had taken when he drove back home: the turns he took, the stops he made, and the businesses he past.

She'd imagine the cool wind whipping against her face and the warmth of his back seeping into her torso. Her slender arms would encircle his middle and feel his muscles tense and relax at her touch and—

"Aish!" she exclaimed, hitting the side of her head with her fist. "Geum Jan Di, what are you thinking?"

The girl huffed and decided to make a right. Not too far off, she could see the dip of a downwards hill.

"That must be the hill I deliver newspapers to" she reasoned. "I can see the doorsteps with cartons of milk in front of them"

With a new spurt of energy fueling her, she almost took off sprinting and nearly collided into a stop sign when she rounded the bend. After a few minutes, she slowed down to a stop and scanned her surroundings once more. Her breathing was labored and sweat began to form on her brow.

She took a huge gulp of air before she realized that she was indeed lost. Despite her current condition she still managed to curse herself under her breath: she had only imagined that the hill was the one she trekked on her daily duty. An exasperated shout escaped from her lips and bounced against the buildings around her. Just then, a honk sounded behind her.

Assuming it was a passing car, she dragged herself from the middle of the road to the sidewalk and proceeded walking down it when she heard it sound off again. Irritated enough as she was, she turned on her heels to shout at the one honking at her. However, her cry was muffled the moment she laid eyes on a white motorcycle and a helmeted man.

"Sunbae!" she exclaimed. Her eyes popped out of her head and her jaw hung: she put no effort in hiding her surprise.

"Geum Jan Di, you know that you're going the wrong way, don't you?" he smirked.

"S-Sunbae, how did you find me here?"

"I heard the emergency bell" he calmly stated. "I figured you would have some trouble finding your way to the school"

"Eh? You knew I'd get lost?"

"It was expected, but just a little" he reassured her. "Come on, we'll be late"

"A-Ah mm"

She climbed the hill leading up to her golden-haired savior and swung her leg over the side while she adjusted the helmet over her head. Small, fragile-looking fingers hesitantly positioned themselves onto the sides of his jacket and gently balled the cloth into her hands.

"I'm ready"

He revved the engine, but made no other movement. He eyed the pale hands grabbing onto his jacket and glanced over his shoulder at the confused girl.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"Are you sure you'll be okay like this?"

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"I'm just worried you might fall when I take off"

"It's okay, I'll be fine" she smiled. "I trust you"

His back straightened a bit and a tiny smile began to tug at the corner of his lips. The man coughed a couple times before facing her again.

"To be safe, I want you to hold onto me; would that be alright with you?"

"Eh? Y-Yes of course"

Her face started to feel hot as she released his jacket and pressed herself against him with her hands clasped around his abdomen. It was her for own well-being so she shouldn't feel flustered about the whole thing, but she couldn't help it—he had specifically asked her to hold onto him. He was a good friend who she was comfortable being with and could trust with anything, but any girl would have her heart racing after hearing that and her heart was definitely pounding.

"R-Ready" she muttered.

She jerked backwards as the motorcycle roared to life and sped down the empty streets with a cowering girl and a smiling man riding on its back.  
-

Crowds of uniformed students parted to make way for the motorcycle as it slowed down to a stop. The engine was cut off and the key, stuffed into the man's pocket. The two removed their helmets and cradled them underneath their arms. They smiled at each other, neither saying a word, but simply basking in the comfortable silence between them. Jan Di opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a loud, high-pitched shrill.

"It's F4!"

Dozens of heads turned in one direction and dozens more screamed in joy. There, walking towards the two standing beside each other, were the school's notorious rulers: Song Woo Bin, So Yi Jung, and of course, Goo Joon Pyo. Despite the admirers watching their every move, the three sauntered about in their designer clothes with nonchalant expressions adorned on their faces. They were completely used to the amount of attention they received on a daily basis—something the girl still couldn't comprehend.

When they were within arm's distance, she welcomed them with a full 90 degree bow, to which they returned by either nodding or flashing a grin. One particular man, however, didn't even acknowledge her gesture and stared at the one standing next to her.

"Yo, what's up man?" Woo Bin greeted in English as he playfully saluted his friend. "Didn't expect you to be here so early"

"Did you just get here? I'm surprised, really. I didn't think you'd be so eager to go school" Yi Jung smirked. To her, he shot her a playful wink before resuming his conversation. "Unless you had some other reason to"

"Yi Jung Sunbae" she cut in, half-pouting.

The black-haired playboy stifled his laugh and grinned broadly.

"Of course I'm only joking" he replied. "Because I know _for sure_ the reason for this pleasant surprise"

The silent man blankly stared at the black-haired Casanova with a hint of wariness and hostility, to which he merely shrugged off. Yi Jung still didn't like the idea of Ji Hoo going after his best friend's girl, but he didn't dare voice his displeasure in front of said girl. She didn't need to know any unnecessary details so the best and subtlest way to get back at him was to tease him about it; it appeared like good-natured ribbing between two friends to the unsuspecting eye but it was indeed a warning.

"You think this is gonna last?" Woo Bin nudged his friend.

"I hope not" Yi Jung smirked. "It isn't natural for 'The Man Who Could Sleep Through Earthquakes' to wake up like a normal human being"

"Ah you're right it doesn't suit him"

During the commotion, Joon Pyo's charcoal irises shifted from Jan Di, to the motorcycle behind her, to his tanned friend, and back to her. Seeing her stand beside Ji Hoo instead of him incited a mix of feelings composed of anger, sadness, and ultimately, jealousy.

He dug his hands deeper into his pockets and stared at her in hopes that she would notice him. To his prediction, she did, and when she did, a chill rushed through his body. She wasn't giving him the cold shoulder—no, instead, she looked at him with confusion and a small level of fear. Fear. Fear of him—fear of being with him, for all the consequences of doing so bore down on her shoulders as well as her family and friends.

_Did she always look at me like that? Was I always causing her this much pain?_

He loudly cleared his throat and shot her an indifferent glare.

"So what is this? Are you two coming to school together now?"

Everyone's eyes settled on the curly-haired leader and shifted back to the two standing opposite of him in anticipation.

Ji Hoo remained silent as usual; instead, his dark, heavy-lidded eyes peeked to the side where the brunette was present. He observed her side profile and waited for her to speak although he was more than ready to jump in if she needed him to.

"N-No that's not it" Jan Di explained. "Sunbae was passing by on the way to school and offered to give me a ride"

"I see" Joon Pyo muttered. "Interesting how he'd pass by you when your apartment is in the other direction"

The other two behind him exchanged questioning glances at the rising hostility in their friend's voice. Based on how the conversation was playing out and how the sizable amount of girls was still watching them the two knew without saying a word that they would most likely have to intervene. The question, though, was when. Their timing had to be perfect or else one might accuse the other of siding with the supposed enemy. For the time being, they decided to let the three talk.

"Goo Joon Pyo" Jan Di exclaimed. "Why does it matter to you if I'm being driven?"

"I don't care whether you walk, crawl, or fly here" he retorted. "I'm asking you how you managed to get on Ji Hoo's bike if you live the other way. Did he just magically appear in front of you like a fairy?"

The playboys noticed his escalating voice and moved to lead him into the F4 building when they were stopped by the sound of the school bell.

"Forget it" she angrily huffed. "I'm going to go to class"

She turned to the three and bid them farewell before walking away. The F4 watched her go and disappear into the crowd before ushering the stiff-legged Joon Pyo and stone-faced Ji Hoo inside.  
-

In the downstairs F4 school hideout, the four men were hanging out and talking as usual. Two of them were over at the bar discussing with drinks in their hands. Two of them, one of ebony curls and the other of golden-brown locks were seated on the luxurious cushioned seats—a favorite leather chair and a cylindrical floral-printed one respectively. Occasionally Joon Pyo would shoot a sideways glare at the other, hastily averting his gaze whenever he would get caught. They would continue doing this, neither uttering a word of what was on their mind, but instead playing an endless game of cat and mouse. In the back, Woo Bin tilted his chin up towards their direction.

"The air has gotten so thick lately"

"Yeah" Yi Jung replied as he took a sip of his beverage. "With the whole wedding ceremony that the Witch arranged coming up, it's certainly going to be a whole lot tougher to get anything past her"

"Can't help but wonder when all this will be over"

"Perhaps it's just my wishful thinking, but I believe it will soon, whether it ends the way we hope it will or not"

"Well we'll just have to do whatever we can" Woo Bin smiled as he raised his glass in the air before bringing it to his lips. He exhaled deeply and set the glass down on the counter. "What do you think is going to happen with Jan Di?"

"What about her?"

"You know that she can't fight against the Witch. She's going to attend the wedding only to see Joon Pyo start a life with someone else. Don't you think that's too cruel? Even for Joon Pyo's mother?"

"Joon Pyo's fiancée was the one who invited her. I still don't understand why she accepted either. Besides, you know as well as I do that his mother would do anything in her power to get what she wants…even if she hurts the person she had good intentions for"

"Ah it's too bad our Jan Di was dragged into this ugly mess" he sighed. "I don't want to see her so heartbroken"

"She's a tough girl" Yi Jung murmured with a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "She wouldn't be Geum Jan Di if she were to shy away from a challenge"

The two exchanged their trademark smirks before turning towards the silent duo's direction again. They watched the two play their psychological game for a moment until Woo Bin once again opened his mouth.

"Ji Hoo…" he mused. "I wonder…"

Yi Jung cocked his eyebrow at him.

"What are you thinking?"

"Ji Hoo really likes her, doesn't he" he stated. It was as if he knew in his mind that it was not a matter of question, but fact. The evidence was all there—the pieces, fitted together. He saw how his friend looked at her: that loving, longing gaze he specially reserved for her. It reminded him of the one he once held for their beloved senior, Min Seo-Hyun, but combined with something…more. Substance, was it? Whatever it was, he was positive everyone else could see it too, that is, everyone but the girl herself.

_Of course she wouldn't notice_ he softly chuckled. _She can be as dense as a rock at times._

Either way, he was more than relieved to hear his dear friend was able to move on from his 15-year-long crush. However, the person he moved onto was the trouble magnet, Geum Jan Di. In all honesty, he didn't mind at all that he fell for a commoner like her: a compassionate, hard-headed, ball of cheer—one of a kind. What he _did _have a problem with was the fact that she was…_is…_was(?) in a relationship with his best friend. He didn't hold the heated passion against it as his fellow playboy but their thoughts were mutual: Ji Hoo's chasing after a taken girl, one taken by none other than their friend, meant betrayal. Although…

"It seems inevitable that Joon Pyo will be married off to that girl, doesn't it?" he asked.

"It hasn't quite been set in stone yet but it's definitely looking grim. Anyway, tell me, what are you trying to say?"

"I was thinking to save them from future heartbreak"

"Future heartbreak? Don't they feel enough now?" he half-joked while taking another sip. "It's not like we can magically make their troubles go away"

"You're right, we can't, but we can certainly help"

Yi Jung once again shot him a quizzical look.

"Oh? Your face tells me you have something in mind" he pointed out as his smirk grew an inch wider. "Song Woo Bin, I'm right, aren't I?"

He responded with a low chuckle and eyed the golden-haired man across the room.

"How about we try to put Ji Hoo and Jan Di together?"

The playful smirk immediately dropped from the Casanova's face and was replaced with one of shock and slight disgust.

"_What?_"

"What, did you think I'd suggest something like kidnapping the groom and the bridesmaid and have them run off together into the sunset? That's just crazy"

"Yes, but I didn't expect to hear that either" he spat. "Jan Di is still Joon Pyo's girl despite the engagement and you're suggesting we help our friend betray him and us?"

"I don't like it either, but like I said, this is to save them from future heartbreak" the man explained. "Don't you think at least one of them deserves a happy ending?"

"Only one?"

Woo Bin shrugged and let his shoulders fall nonchalantly.

"Better to save one than lose both, right? It's easy when you think of it like a business transaction"

Just as Yi Jung was about to retaliate, the bartender placed two new glasses beside them and filled it with brandy.

"Here you are, young masters"

F4's Don Juan thanked the man and faced the steaming one next to him who was shooting him daggers.

"We'll discuss again another time. Meanwhile" he trailed off as he grabbed both of the glasses. "We have something else we need to take care of"

He slickly pushed himself away from the counter and walked towards the still-silent duo; the drinks clattered on the glass table in the center and the two, though snapped out of their childish game, merely glanced at the drinks before resuming. The last of the four, who was still miffed by the thought of the absurd idea, reluctantly followed suit and sat down on his violet couch.

"I know you guys are deeply in love with each other, but you've been sitting here and staring at each other ever since we got here" Woo Bin started. "What do you think that's going to solve?"

"There isn't a problem to solve" Joon Pyo spoke. "And if there is, I can handle it myself"

"Ah, is that right? So, mind if I ask about your plans regarding stopping your marriage?"

The man froze; he blinked rapidly and his lips parted to speak, though no words came out. Finally, he stood up.

"I'll do whatever I can"

He didn't even wait to hear their responses; he immediately turned on his heels and marched up the stairs. The sound of his shoes clicking against the hard wood faded until it couldn't be heard anymore. Not long after, Ji Hoo stood as well and disappeared up the stairway, leaving the two playboys by themselves, save for the bartender in the back.

"Aish they're making this way too complicated" Woo Bin muttered lowly. "It's a miracle how the F4 stayed intact all these years"

"It's really not as incredible as you make it seem. It's because we remained loyal to each other" the man snarled as he got up to leave.

"Yi Jung ah" Woo Bin called. "Let's all meet at the lounge tonight"

When the footsteps were gone the lone man leaned back into his chair and let his head rest on the top. His hands cupped his face and slowly pulled it downwards to ease his ever-increasing stress. He groaned into his hands and let them fall limply onto his lap. The F4 was a mess and because of him and his plan, it might become in an even worse condition.

_I hope this works.  
-_

**Hi everyone! I'm back for the time being whoo! If anyone planned to ask, I felt I did relatively well on my exams. (: Anyway onto the chapter. The plot (whatever it became) is finally rolling~**

**Ah before I forget: to the guest reviewers who commented how Jan Di and Ji Hoo were slightly OOC. I understand why you thought that and I do appreciate your thoughts; however, I wanted to clarify and/or state a couple things (since I can't PM you guys):**

**1. Ji Hoo is and has always been a shy/awkward guy. In my opinion, that was what accounted for much of the "coldness" he displayed during certain scenes. That or he thought she just needed a little space.**

**2. Jan Di in the drama did not show any romantic feelings towards Ji Hoo as the drama was moving along. Remember how she reacted to him in the drama's beginning? Yeah like that (:**

**Thank you all for supporting this story. I know it's not as popular as some of the others out there, but that means I appreciate your time and effort even more. I have to update my other story but I'll get back to this one as soon as I can. Peace!**

***I changed the story archive to Ji Hoo/Jan Di/Joon Pyo because to be honest, that's what it is at the moment. Will change towards the end when we've come to a resolution**


	5. Chapter 5: The Calm Before the Storm

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boys Over Flowers or the characters  
**-

The school day had just ended and the four boys all gathered in the room of the one and only Shinhwa heir. The said man was eagerly peering through the telescope that protruded out of his room. He was moving about and adjusting the contraption as if he were possessed; if anyone were to burst into the room and see him, they'd think he was crazy—not that people haven't already thought so. Off to the side, Ji Hoo and Yi Jung were both seated on the chairs while Woo Bin was leaning against one of the drawers tossing around a peculiarly shaped object.

"Joon Pyo, what are you even looking for in that telescope? The sun's still out; you're not gonna find any stars right now" Yi Jung pointed.

"Don't you know? The brightest star appears when the sun is up" he retorted as he twisted the knob on the side.

To that Woo Bin sighed and lowered his head.

"Are you sure that the star you're looking for isn't the sun itself?"

Joon Pyo's eyes immediately shot open and he slowly straightened himself without a word. He coughed a couple times into his fist and averted his gaze out the window. The three chuckled to themselves and waited for him to speak.

"So what news on the Witch?"

"Well it seems like she's going to be out of the country for a week or two on business. As always. Her flight is in two days"

"Good. I can use that time to try to get that monkey girl to call off the wedding without her interfering"

"And how are you gonna do that?" Yi Jung asked. "She seems really determined to marry you"  
"Because you're just so charming" Woo Bin playfully scoffed. "What did you even do?"

"I fought her for a pair of shoes in Macau" he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets.

The two playboys snickered aloud which earned them both a deadly glare.

"You can try to get her to hate you" Ji Hoo suggested. "Maybe then she'd be so angry that she'd call it off"

"Hm" the curly-haired man pondered. "That actually might do it. I've got to be as unattractive as possible. That'd work, right?"

"Well" Yi Jung cut in. "Think about it for a minute. For that to work, you'd have to be so vile and disgusting that you could be mistaken as a homeless man who stole a rich man's clothes. Being raised in a life of status, people like us aren't meant to go so low. You've had trouble adjusting to that apartment next to Jan Di's when you lived there. How are you going to pull this off?"

"I agree with him"

"Me too" Ji Hoo added. "Have you tried asking her?"

"Already did"

"I don't think telling her she'd regret it is asking her, Joon Pyo"

"Well what other choice did I have at the time? It takes a lot to get through her monkey head and I don't have a lot of patience"

The others shook their heads disapprovingly at their thick-headed friend.

"Well in any case, we gotta find some way to get it cancelled"

"How about we set something on fire during the ceremony?" Joon Pyo asked with rising enthusiasm.

"You're crazy, man!" Woo Bin shouted in his broken English as he laughed heartily.

"Let's not do something we could get arrested for" Ji Hoo smiled.

"That's the last thing we'd want to happen" the dark-haired Casanova smirked.

A knock came at the door followed by a low voice.

"Young Master"

"Yes? What is it? I thought I told everyone I didn't want to be bothered right now"

"Yes, of course, but the madame has just arrived and requests your presence"

Everyone in the room nearly jumped out of their skin. The object that Woo Bin had been throwing up and down fell dead into his palm. Yi Jung's casually crossed legs automatically unfurled and Ji Hoo pushed himself back into the chair. Joon Pyo's bod stiffened and his lips pursed together into a thin line. They exchanged anxious glances with each other.

"What does she want with me?"

"I'm not sure. Shall I—"

"What are you doing not bringing Joon Pyo to me? I'm a very busy woman and I don't have time to be waiting all day"

"Yes, Madame, my apologies. I was just in the middle of announcing your presence"

"This is my house. It's not necessary to announce my presence. Now where is my son?"

"He's in his room with his friends"

"And he doesn't go to greet his mother? How did I raise him? Move aside"

The great doors swung open and in the middle of it all was a thin, elegant woman with jet-black curls and a scowl on her face. Upon setting foot into the room she scanned the room and its inhabitants, carefully analyzing and assessing it all. The boys stood up and bowed. Her eyes glanced over them and narrowed upon reaching the object of her desire: Joon Pyo.

"Joon Pyo, aren't you going to greet me?"

"Hello, Mother"

"And what have you been doing this whole time? Why are you not spending time with Jae Kyung?"

"Mother—"

"I don't want to hear what you have to say. They're all just excuses anyway"

"Mother..."

She turned and stared the others down; they swore that the room turned a couple degrees colder, but they said no such thing and endured the cold daggers that shot from her eyes.

"You're the Shinhwa heir and this F4 business still exists? You boys have too much time on your hands to be going on like this. Why don't you all do something worthwhile for once?"

"Mother, what did you come here for? It surely can't just be to scold me and my friends"

"Did you think I have the time to do silly things like that? Just come back to work for Shinhwa so I wouldn't have to come all the way here to keep trying to persuade you. You'll have to take over the company in a few years' time so why not start now?"

"I said I'm not ready for it yet"

"And by the time you are, it'd be too late, wouldn't it? Your father would be heartbroken if he saw how his company is faring and how his own son wouldn't want to succeed him"

Joon Pyo fell silent. All eyes were fixated on him. The silence in the room was so thick and heavy that it was almost suffocating. Thankfully, Secretary Jung came to the rescue. The charcoal suit donning figure approached the seething woman and stopped just a foot away.

"President Kang, if you stay any longer, you'll be late for your evening appointment with the CEO"

She blinked a couple times to snap out of her stupor and nodded.

"As for the rest of you, I'll be looking forward to seeing everyone at Joon Pyo's wedding ceremony. Until then" she concluded as she whipped around and marched out into the hall with Secretary Jung following closely behind her. He locked eyes with the curly-haired man for a split second with a gentle smile curving his lips before shutting the doors.

Yi Jung smacked his lips and turned towards his frozen friend.

"I guess that's just another problem to deal with now, huh?"

"It's always been a problem ever since we entered high school. I'm surprised you were able to hold that off though given the Witch's temperament" F4's Don Juan commented.

"Doesn't it seem like she's pushing you even more now with the wedding coming up?" Ji Hoo inquired. His glazed, caramel irises drifted towards everyone in the room for confirmation.

"I've gotta do something" Joon Pyo muttered as he charged towards the door. "I'm gonna have Jae Kyung call off the wedding no matter what"

He swung open the door and stormed out, leaving the three to stare after him in astonishment and slight amusement.

"I haven't seen him get so worked up for a while" Woo Bin chuckled. "Do you think we should follow him?"

"He and Jae Kyung need to settle it alone. It's not our business" the golden-haired man calmly replied.

He sighed and glanced down at the watch on his wrist. It was 6:21 pm. Upon seeing how late it was getting and how quickly the sky was turning dark, he shot up from his chair and made his way towards the exit.

"Where are you going?"

"I've got something to take care of. I'll see you guys tomorrow" he half-muttered as he disappeared behind the door.

Meanwhile, Woo Bin shot a knowing glance at the remaining friend sitting across from him.

"Don't you have to go too?"

Although the Casanova scoffed at his friend's assumption, he still flashed his boyish grin and winked.

"Maybe"  
-

"Jan Di ah, could you clean up that table behind you? I've got my hands full on these ones" Ga Eul called out from the other side of the room.

The short-haired girl shouted in compliance and started stacking the empty bowls. The porcelain bowls and metal spoons were set aside atop of another table while the girl whipped out a towel and proceeded wiping down the tabletop. A hefty man donning an apron came rushing out from the kitchen and struggled to undo the knot behind him. He spun around trying to get ahold of it and merely groaned.

"Master, what's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

"I forgot I have to escort my mom home from the doctor's. Aish if I miss it again, she'll really scold me"

"Is your mother's health alright?" she asked with a look of concern crossing her face.

"No, it's nothing too bad. She just has a cold now and then but otherwise she's as healthy as an ox"

"That's a relief to hear" the girl replied as she deftly undid the tangled mess of a knot for him. "You're a good son" she smiled.

He, in return, sheeply smiled back at her.

"Thank you Jan Di. Ah! I forgot.."

He dug into the front pockets of the apron and fished out a set of keys. With his free hand he unfurled hers and curled her fingers around the various keys.

"Since I won't be back in time, can you and Ga Eul close up shop?"

"Mm" she nodded. "You can count on us, Master"

"That's great. I'll see you both tomorrow!" the man called out as he shuffled out and down the street. She grinned and resumed to her work.

About half an hour or so later the two girls walked through the same door and stretched out their limbs in the chilly night air. Ga Eul did a quick spin and rubbed her hands together while she waited for her best friend to finish locking up. The girl, though, seemed to have some trouble. The observing girl furrowed her brows and leaned in to see what the problem was.

"Is the key jammed?"

"I think it is" Jan Di grunted as she tried pulling it from the padlock.

"Turn it more to the left"

"Like this?"

"No that's not it. Here, let me do it"

"Ah don't worry I got it"

"No really let me help you" she said as she pushed her friend's hand from the key.

"No it's ok" she rebutted, regaining her hold.

The two struggled like that in the darkening night until Ga Eul finally yanked the key from the lock. She flashed a victorious smile at her pouting friend and patted her back. She returned the keys and helped the brunette girl get on her feet. As soon as they turned around:

"Oh you scared me!" shouted the taller of the two as she frantically grabbed her jacket collar. A man sitting nonchalantly on the back of a white motorcycle greeted them as if it were normal.

"Sunbae? What're you doing here? If you wanted to eat, sorry, we're closed and Master is out"

"I didn't come to eat" he responded quite bluntly. "I came to get you"

He held the helmet in his lap and tossed it to her. She fumbled with it and looked at it before reverting her eyes back to his.

"You came all this way to pick me up? Sunbae..." she pouted.

"It's all right. I was in the area anyway and I might as well" he smiled.

"But—"

"Jan Di ah" Ga Eul interrupted. "You should just go with him. He came all this way and the least you can do is honor it right?"

"What about you? I don't want you to walk home by yourself"

"I'll be fine!" she laughed before sighing. "It must be nice to have someone take you home though"

"Then I came just in time" another voice butted in. Everyone's attention shifted to the owner of the voice, only to find the grinning Casanova walking towards the girls. He and Ji Hoo exchanged silent words and acknowledgement before they turned back to the stunned ladies.

"E-Eh?" Ga Eul uttered.

Jan Di bowed her head and smiled at him.

"It's nice to see you Yi Jung sunbae"

"You have been working late into the night again, haven't you?"

"Ah not tonight. We were just leaving actually"

"I see. It seems Ji Hoo and I arrived at the right moment. Allow us to escort you both home. It's dangerous for beautiful women like you two to be walking alone in the dark" he smirked while offering Ga Eul his hand.

She merely stared at it until she felt her being pushed forward.

"Go with him. He came all this way, didn't he?" Jan Di playfully whispered into her friend's ear.

She responded by contorting her face at her but nevertheless laid her hand on his. Yi Jung's smile grew an inch wider as he stepped closer and bent his arm to allow her to grab ahold of his bicep instead. The two glanced over their shoulders and bade their farewells to the remaining duo. Yi Jung of course shot a warning glare at his friend before his usual smile crept on his face. They climbed into the yellow Lotus and drove out of sight, the roar of the engine fading away.

At the same time, the helmeted man started up his own engine and waited for the girl to hop on.

"Ready to go?"

He turned to her, to which she responded by pulling the helmet over her head and swinging her leg over the motorcycle. She held onto him and off they went.  
-

Meanwhile, a certain curly-haired silhouette stood outside a luxurious resort with his hands deep in his coat pockets. He blew out cold air and watched as it dissipated; his hands and feet trembled in the ever-growing chill. He groaned and glanced at his wristwatch.

"She said she'd be down in 5 minutes. I've been waiting here for an hour! Aish what is that girl doing?"

Joon Pyo rapped on his driver's window. The tinted window rolled down and out peered out a tired and aged face.

"Yes, Young Master?"

"Ahjussi, are you married?" he shivered.

"Yes, sir, I am. May I ask the reason for your sudden curiosity?"

"How long does she usually take to get ready—actually, when someone says to come down as soon as possible, how long does it take?"

"About 20 or 25 minutes depending on who's asking. She's usually putting on makeup and figuring out the clothes she'd wear"

"Eh? That long? It's not like she's going to a party"

"Well she takes to wanting to look her best even if she's called for in the middle of the night. And if I may say, I think this young lady really wants to impress you"

"That's ridiculous. Even if she was doing things like that she shouldn't take so long"

The driver chuckled lowly.

"That's women for you, Young Master"

"Goo Joon Pyo!" a distant voice echoed.

Both heads swiveled towards the resort and found a giggling woman nearly skipping towards them. She wore a thick lime-green coat trimmed in black fur and brown boots, topped off with large hoop earrings that dangled noticeably from her curtain of dark hair. Her figure was hidden under the coat—but in style. She also seemed to pack on more makeup, particularly around her eyes and lips. Either way her broad grin widened from ear to ear at the sight of her fiance. The woman stopped just before him with her hands clasped behind her back.

"I'm here~ Sorry for the wait"

"What took you? Were you even aware that I was freezing my perfect body out here for an hour? Aish this woman" he muttered as he looked the other way in annoyance.

"I couldn't decide what to wear" she smiled.

His head snapped forward and his eyes bulged out in disbelief.

"_What?_"

Joon Pyo's gaze shifted over to the driver who had slipped back inside the car and rolled up the window. Again, he let out a sigh and calmed himself for a minute to speak.

"So what did you want to talk about? I was really surprised when I heard you wanted to meet. I wanted to look perfect even though we're only meeting for a short time"

"Monkey—no. Jae Kyung..."

"Oh? You're using my name? Aahh~ you're finally warming up to me now, isn't that right?"

"No, that's not it. Look—"

Muffled sounds of chiming music cut him off. She looked at him with confusion before realizing that it was her phone going off.

"Ah excuse me" she whispered in embarrassment as she fished out the phone and faced the other direction. He could only sigh and wait while she finished her call. Well, at least it gave him more time to think of what to say.

"Hello? Yes, this is Ha Jae Kyung. Oh! President Kang"

His attention that had drifted off to this thoughts immediately focused on her pacing form.

"Ah yes, yes, I'm doing well. I hope you are as well. Ah Joon Pyo came to visit me. Just to talk" she smiled. "Yes ma'am. I'll visit you soon. Goodnight"

The phone was shut off and stuffed back into whence it came. She raised her head and cocked an eyebrow at the stunned man in front of her.

"What did she ask you for?"

"Your mom called to see how I'm doing. She seems happy to know you came by"

"Is that it?"

She bobbed her head up and down, "She reminded me to visit her sometime and to talk about the wedding ceremony. That's all. Right, you had something you wanted to tell me?"

"I see. Well I wanted to ask if you w..."

"If I wanted children? Yes, of course! What sort of married couple wouldn't want to have children of their own? I think I want at least two..."

He blew out air in exasperation.

"No, wait, that's not—"

"Don't worry I won't leave and go around the world. I'll stay by your side and—"

She was cut short by wide hands gripping onto her shoulders. The very same hands squeezed her and held her in place: they demanded her attention.  
"Call off the wedding...please"

"...What?" Her dark eyes locked onto him and searched his eyes for some kind of hint to tell her that he wasn't serious. Nope. He was completely serious.

"I thought we were through with this. You still want to cancel it?"

"Yes, I—" he shut his eyes and exhaled. "I can't marry you. "

His words hit her hard. She felt each syllable pierce through her heart and she felt lightheaded. Here she thought he had finally come around and would love her the way she loved him. The entire time her level of excitement spiked as each joyful second passed. Now it fell like a bomb, replaced only by disappointment and hurt.

"Why? Why can't you marry me? You know I'd be good to you"  
"I know you would. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"I've fallen in love with someone else and I can't forget her"

"Is Jan Di that special?" she whispered with tears rising in her sullen eyes. "Tell me, Joon Pyo" her voice escalating.

He stared into her watery eyes and his lips parted to voice his answer. He knew that the next words that would come out of his mouth would devastate her—she probably knew, but wanting to hear it herself from him? That's almost self-inflicted. Almost.

Joon Pyo got his hands from his pockets and pulled her closer to him. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her shaking form. Her own hands, tightly balled into fists, slowly unfurled and were firmly pressed against his back.

"I'm sorry about this whole thing. If I had met you first then maybe...I might have fallen for you then"

Jae Kyung gripped a handful of his coat before pulling away. She reared her head and looked up at him; her eyes were still wet but were also set and determined.

"Never. I'll never let you go—I can't"

His eyes widened.

"What? But I just told you that—"

"I know what you said. Still, I can't let you go. In fact, I want to hold you tighter now"

An irritated growl rumbled in the back of his throat.

"Monkey—"

"That's right. Call me Monkey: I want to forever be your monkey. Sorry, Joon Pyo, but I think I have to cut this conversation short. It's getting late and I'd like to go back in now. Go home and think about this talk though; I can only hope that you are willing to give me a chance to show you how much I care about you"

She swiveled on her heels and hurriedly stomped back into the resort, leaving a depleted Joon Pyo behind her staring at her retreating figure. He bit his lower lip and angrily swung the car door open.

"Where to now, Young Master?"

"Take me home"

"I'll call the maids to prepare—"

"No, not that home. The other one"

-  
The black sedan rolled up on the sloping hill of the apartments and came to a stop before the demolished building. Joon Pyo peered out of the tinted window but couldn't believe it. He scrambled out of the car to see for himself. His brows furrowed and he blew out a stream of hot air; his hands tightly gripped the top of the door until they turned white.

"So this is what happened. This is no doubt the witch's doing" he muttered to himself. "Ahjussi, please drive"

A call of affirmation echoed in the air and the man folded himself in half and took a seat. The door was pulled shut and the car was on its way again. The driver just kept going in a straight line for several minutes, waiting for the seething man to direct him, but both of them kept quiet. It wasn't until they reached the end of the hill did he finally ask:

"Where to now?"  
-

Ji Hoo quietly slipped out of his room and shuffled towards the kitchen. It was past midnight and the house was deathly quiet. Although his spacious house was filled with silence, it wasn't lonely at all. Maybe that's because a certain brunette was sleeping in the room next door. Jan Di had gone to sleep not too long ago and so had he...or, rather, he was supposed to. Yet, here he was, trudging through the house almost automatically. While in the kitchen he grabbed for the tea box and for a mug. In went the hot water as well as the small, packet of tea; the herbal aroma wafted up to his nose and he took in all its glory. The smell of tea always had a way to relax him and keep him going: just another wonder added to the many attributes of tea.

With the steaming hot beverage in his hand the man proceeded towards his room when something caught his eye. His body halted and gravitated towards the security monitor. All the while, his head started to tilt as he gazed upon the screen that displayed that of the front yard. A black sedan had pulled up along the stone wall and a tall, curly-haired silhouette dressed in black emerged. He glanced left and right for perhaps a watching figure before making his way towards the lavish home, unaware that a golden-haired friend was looking in.

A small smile graced the usually blank face of the great Yoon Ji Hoo as he turned from the monitor.

Joon Pyo reached the front of the mansion and stood in front of its door for a good minute or two before he was able to gather the courage to lift a hand. Just as he was about to knock on the door, the wooden thing swung open, taking him by surprise.

"Oh you scared me" Joon Pyo muttered while grabbing for his heart.

Ji Hoo merely grinned at his friend's dramatic reaction.

_He always had a flair for drama..._

"Is there a reason you came?" he asked, his expression void of emotion. "I was about to head off to bed until I saw you on the security camera"

"I came because I wanted to ask you something"

"It must be important if you came at this sort of hour"

"I'll tell you all about it but aren't you going to invite me in?" he asked, or rather, demanded. His shivering seemed to intensify and his eyes were somewhat pleading. Ji Hoo stepped aside to allow his freezing friend in, to which the latter quickly thanked and nearly dove through the doorway. The door was closed behind him and the two settled on the snow-white couch in the living room. Joon Pyo was much more at ease but there was a particular sense of tension that emanated from him.

The golden-haired figure returned with a fresh pot of tea in hand and looked to his curly-haired friend.

"Do you want some tea? It'll warm you up"

"No thanks. I was never that fond of tea; I don't know how you can drink that stuff every day when you can choose from so many around you: soju, wine, juice, water"

"If it counts, I use hot water to brew tea"

"There's no helping you" Joon Pyo groaned, crossing his arms and legs and turning the other way.

Ji Hoo chuckled and set the porcelain pot onto the table. He maneuvered around the table and plopped down onto the empty space beside him.

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Joon Pyo unfurled from his former position and shifted to face him. Dark, charcoal irises stared deeply into caramel as his brows furrowed.

"I saw the destroyed apartment just now. When did it happen and who's behind it?"

"It should be obvious who's pulling the strings"

"So it was the Witch after all"

"She's set on making Jan Di's life miserable, and knowing her, this is only scratching the surface. She is definitely plotting right now"

Joon Pyo exhaled forcefully and drummed his fingers against the top of the couch.

"How come no one told me?" his voice suddenly stern.

"The less you know, the better" Ji Hoo calmly answered.

"_What? _How can it be better? If I knew I would've done whatever I could to stop it!"

"We're talking about the Witch here, Joon Pyo. You can't stop it; you can only delay it"

"Jan Di is—"

"She's no longer your girlfriend"

The dark-haired man froze and his eyes widened.

"You're about to be married to another girl; did you believe you could keep a fiancee and a girlfriend simultaneously? What do you think people will say about Jan Di?" the stone-faced man continued.

"This marriage isn't something I decided on!" he shouted. "I'm trying to get out of it!"

Joon Pyo angrily turned his head and blinked rapidly. His hand had curled into a fist and looked about ready to hit something. Luckily, the anger that resided in him gradually dwindled to a simmer.

"I talked to that monkey girl, Jae Kyung, before I came here"

"I'm guessing it didn't go the way you had hoped"

"She wants to hold onto me even tighter now. I don't know what has gotten into her. Is she seriously okay with marrying someone because our parents want to improve relations?"

"She seems more than okay with it. What did you tell her?"

"I told her we should stop the wedding because we weren't right for each other. She just doesn't listen to me!" he groaned. "This is so much more troublesome than I thought"

"What did you expect? We were born into these lives. At some point our parents will force us into something for their own benefit" the expressionless man quipped.

"Well you don't have to deal with any of that" Joon Pyo muttered to himself.

Ji Hoo remained silent and stared blankly at his fidgety friend. His hands were firmly clasped and his chest felt tight but he didn't dare show it on his face. He knew that he didn't mean what he said, that he was just heated over the situation and lack of results, but it still pained him. If his parents had been alive there would be no doubt that he would be in a similar position but he wasn't. His parents were gone and he was hurting for different reasons.

Joon Pyo's voice snapped him out of his daze. He heard him shift on the couch to face him.

"What more can I do?"

"I really don't know..."

F4's leader heaved a heavy sigh before locking eyes once again.

"How is she?"

"Huh?"

"Jan Di. How is she doing?"

"She's doing fine. She's going through the usual stress but she's strong. She'll get through it"

"I see. I'm...glad. Thank you for taking care of her for me"

Joon Pyo patted his stiff friend's back and smiled gratefully. In response, Ji Hoo somehow managed to flash a small smile back despite the rising discomfort.

"You're welcome" he uttered.

The two rose to stand up and bid each other good luck and farewell before they headed towards the exit. Once the front door was shut, the golden-haired man sighed and scratched the back of his head. He turned off the lights and slowly made his way back to his room. As he neared, the faint click of a door closing caught his attention. He cocked an eyebrow and proceeded further; he stopped in front of the room Jan Di stayed in and reached for the doorknob. His slender fingers grazed the cool metal but suddenly withdrew.

_No, she couldn't possibly be awake at this time. I must be hearing things._

With that, he turned away and entered his bedroom. However, in the room beside his, the one that he chose not to enter, a forlorn girl sat on the bed, hugging her knees and twiddling with the silver necklace around her neck. Even in the darkness, she could clearly see the initials J&J and the sparkling piece. She stuffed it back into her jacket and leaned against the headrest with a sigh.

_Goo Joon Pyo..._

His image appeared in her mind. His curly locks bounced upon every step he took and he grinned haughtily at her. His charcoal eyes lit up and at that moment, he was much more handsome than the grouchy leader who once strode around in such a harsh fashion as if he had a stick up his ass. The things he did never failed to irritate her, which include the constant teasing, bickering, and obvious differences in perspective. Just hearing his name sometimes elicited a scowl, but at the same time, a smile on her face. On the other hand...

_Ji Hoo Sunbae..._

The man who she had a deep crush on the moment he whipped out his personal handkerchief and wiped off the flour and egg remnants that stained her face. His smile was a rare spectacle and it wasn't often he looked...happy. Nowadays, it seems he's gotten considerably better and whenever she saw him, he appeared rather content. He was just as handsome, and unlike the former, he moved about in a mysterious manner; he was the epitome of mystery and she couldn't help be drawn to him because of it. The more time she spent with him, the harder she fell for him, but the same would also apply to Joon Pyo. She cared for him as well.

"Aish!" she growled as she buried herself in the covers.

_Where is my heart leading me?  
-_

**Hello hello! Sorry this chapter took a lot longer than expected. Hopefully the next one wouldn't take too long and I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! There is definitely more to come so please look forward to it! Let me know what you guys thought of it and happy reading**!


End file.
